Dr. Jebediah Castle's page

Dr. Jebediah Castle is a confusing goblin to most at first impression. Strikingly well dressed, groomed and spoken, he creates controversy wherever he goes with his unrepentant intellect, shrewd medical know-how, ethically questionable skills and his willingness to do plenty of harm in his mission of healing. He has little patience for savage primitives and even less for religion, having been under the yoke and broken free of both by his own actions. While he'd much prefer a game of strategy, a discussion of city planning, a new species of herb or an unusual illness to diagnose and treat, he's still perfectly happy setting fools on fire, breaking into underground ruins or watching monstrous criminals bleed out with a healing potion in his hand and a grin on his face. When questioned on his inscrutable motives and questionable ethics once upon a time, the good doctor had the following to say:

"Unethical? Me? Pigshit. I'm just an actual healer. I've been to some of the ugliest parts of our world and had to do some excruciating things to survive and keep others alive. Would you like to know what I call unethical? 'Do no harm.' I've actually heard clerics and Chirugeons alike swear that oath and try to live by it. It's completely delusional. When something tears a hole in you, how do we fix it? By poking smaller holes in you with a needle and thread. All the medicines you know and rely upon? We know which ones work because someone tried the wrong ones first...and I'll bet those weren't pretty corpses. Every broken bone you've ever mended? Setting the limb hurt like the nine hells, didn't it? Healing is a painful process; any healer who thinks he can do no harm is only fooling himself. The only realistic goal is to outweigh the harm with the healing. You see, I'm not unethical; I just have the skills and the stomach to actually fix what's wrong instead of praying for the pain to stop."

For what reason does your character become an adventurer? What motive keeps them going?

Dr. Castle took to the adventuring life easily when his warren was exterminated and he was left to wander and fend for himself. He's since learned that healers are always in demand and that good skills can be worth a lot. He also wants to prove, after more than one sour encounter with religion, that people can take care of themselves without the gods.

How did your character first hear about the House of Fate and Fire?

He was a young thief in Taldor when he drew the guild's attention with his thievery. He saw a chance to steal an easy meal from an inattentive tiefling. It turned out that tiefling was a founding member of the guild. It also turned out the meal was a trap, but Jeb was hungry and decided to take it as a challenge. What he didn't know was that as he made his escape he was being shadowed...by a cockroach.

Why did your character decide to join the House over other options available to them? (Feel free to come up with some liberties on this one, whether they were recruited or tried out for the guild) How does the House fit into your motives as an adventurer?

He was cornered and caught, not by Konishi, but by Layla; instead of dragging him to prison, she chose to empathize with a lone goblin and arranged an amnesty that saw him in guild custody. Jebediah agreed because in the moment, his only other halfway palatable option was prison. After a probationary period and some adjustments on both his part and theirs, Jeb decided he liked his new home and decided to pitch in and work on it. The House is home to Jeb; what's good for the House is good for him.

The adventuring parties live in dormitory-style apartments. The rooms are quite spacious, and the living/kitchen area is shared. What does your room look like? What kind of roommate are you?

Goblins don't need much space but Jeb revels in how much room he has compared to a goblin warren. His area is mostly occupied by bookshelves filled with various volumes, jars and vial racks, all filled with unidentifiable things and a modified coat rack with a hook for his backpack. Jeb is fastidious with his space so the area is usually clean and organized. Though he used to be a voracious eater, ever since acquiring his ring of sustenance he eats only occasionally--mainly just to be polite or to try something new.

While Teladora insists that adventurers don't need as much rest as normal people, Layla disagrees. The lamia makes sure that all parties get at least a week of downtime between adventures unless they ask for less. What does your character do to unwind?

If he's not working with the guard treating injuries or administering aid to a patient in town, Jeb fills his time reading whatever he can get his hands on and attempting to expand his alchemical repertoire. From time to time he can be found sharing a game with someone to keep his wits sharp. On rare occasion, he might enjoy visiting the tavern to play a harmless prank on a rowdy tavern-goer or two. Every once in a great while though, he does enjoy indulging that old fashioned goblin urge to blow something up or set something on fire--though it's always in a controlled environment and NEVER against anything important to anyone...EVER.

--What do you look forward to most in a campaign, roleplay, combat, or a healthy mix of both?

All of it. Every character is and should be fully capable of participating in some form in all kinds of gameplay. Some struggle, but that's part of the point. Between players with the guts to challenge their weak areas and DMs who like weaving failures into the story, even an unstoppable fighter should be able to have a conversation and the most charm heavy sorcerer should still be able to try stabbing someone when the situation calls for it.

--What makes a campaign great to you? What would absolutely ruin one for you?

To the first, there are lots of things. Surprises, consistent world building, fleshed out characters and motivations, adventures that leave room for various strategies and tactics; the list goes on. No one thing can make a campaign great; it has to be a culmination of many positive factors that stand together.

To the second, well...ugh. Pretty much the opposite of the above: predictable routine encounters, stat stick characters, characters that clearly don't fit in the setting, characters getting pigeonholed (by player choice or otherwise) into a repetitive role...again, it's usually not one single thing that sours an experience, especially since a single sticking point can be discussed on the side and improved upon.

--What are your soft limits as a player? What about your hard limits?

If we're talking about what content I find 'inappropriate' or 'uncomfortable?' That sort of thing? Well, I'm 39. I've been around the block. I grew up in the transitory era just before computers became a big thing and I've spent plenty of time surfing the web, both light and dark, so to speak. I learned to compartmentalize fiction from reality at a young age, so in the interest of telling a compelling story, there's a lot I can handle.

--There may be times when there’s a conflict of interest between characters. I don’t plan on facilitating PvP, but it may come up. How do you feel about rolling dice against other players?

As mentioned above, I can separate fact from fantasy. As long as all players understand that we're still trying to drive a story and not actually drawing real, personal battle lines over a piece of imaginary loot on a play by post forum, I am okay with character conflict.

--Do you have any phobia or trauma-trigger that I should know and shy away from?

Not that I can think of. One of the great parts of a PBP campaign is that it's all just text. You can read at your pace and distance yourself from the parts that discomfort you if need be so even if there was something I'd be okay enough to handle it.

--On a scale of 1-10, what difficulty level do you like to sit at? 1 being a new player friendly campaign, with 10 being the kind of games you hear tales of in hushed whispers in your FLGS (Tomb of Horrors, Slumbering Tsar, etc.)

Honestly, variety is the spice of life. Sometimes it's good to have some story that's not at the mercy of the RNG and sometimes you need some crushing difficulty to hold you to the mark. Sometimes you just want to have fun being cinematic and scoring style points and sometimes you want to test every aspect of your kit and figure out just how good you are. It's cyclical, like a roller coaster. Gotta have the downs with the ups, you know?

That said, I'd say I'd probably be bored by anything below, say...a 5?It's okay if not every step is the threat of instant death, but if we're blowing away armies on the daily, it might be time to renegotiate what kind of fantasy we're living here.

--How do you want me to handle mass dice rolls? For example, to expedite some events, would you like me to roll initiative/perception checks/saves for the group? Would you rather me only do so if a player needs to be botted?

This one...depends. I'm always in favor of things that save time and collect bulk data in easy to read, easy to find spots, so yeah, for some things that works. SOMETIMES, however, the suspense of not knowing can work in the favor of the story and keep players on their toes, so...this one you kinda have to go case by case and kind of read the audience. It's as much art as science, but this one will be up to the DM.

--Where would you like to see your character’s arc go as the campaign moves past the initial adventure?

Ooh...Been busy this week and haven't focused much on this just yet. It's still kind of organic in my head at this point; guess I should think about defining this a little more in the very near future.

--How large would you like to see this campaign be geographically? Similar to the Pathfinder Society where you could be in Absalom one day, then all the way in Tian Xia the next? Or would you rather have a smaller, more compact campaign with more recurring characters and themes, with traveling outside of Taldor being an occasional treat?

In truth, I could go either way. I can picture Jeb finding things to do on both the local and large scale and I don't have a leaning towards or against travel; when it happens it happens, but if it doesn't then that just means there's things to do right where I am.

--I had planned on using Roll 20 for maps and handouts. How do you feel about that and, if you don’t care for R20, do you have a different preference?

Fine with me. Long as the links are good I can ro--NO! NO! I will NOT pun this! I REFUSE!

--How long has your character been with the House of Fate and Fire?

Pretty much his adult life. Layla all but adopted him as an adolescent, despite both their claims to the contrary; the house has been his first real home since the warren and it's infinitely better in every way.

--Name at least 3 people who your character would consider to be “close” whether it’s friends, family, or acquaintances. At least one should be outside of the House.

Layla is the obvious one; she's very likely the reason he actually made it to true adulthood and while some might see her as somewhat maternal, to him she's more of a protective-yet-sometimes-stifling older sibling. They have great patience for each others point of view and generally are happy to see each other, but they disagree on religion...strongly.

Chunkin is a goblin rogue who, much like Jeb, found his way into the city and was recruited by the guild, spared his fate by Layla...but instead of sharing Jeb's intellectual interests, still acts much more like a 'typical' goblin: primitive superstitions and fears still hold much sway over him and despite being an accepted guild member he still clings to many old habits. He often tries to get Jebediah to join in on his pranks, misadventures and goblinoid brand of fun and while he doesn't always go along, Jeb does make a concerted effort to help Chunkin rise above his primitive upbringing.

Rinna is a gnomish artisan who was resuced by Jebediah's party in one of his earlier adventures. Due to the unhappy ending that befell her home, she elected to travel back to the city with Jebediah's party and took up residence there. She works as a glassblower and Jeb prefers to go to her for vials, beakers and any other miscellaneous glasswork. The intersection of their professions and hobbies has seen them remain friends for several years and the genuine friendship between a goblin and a gnome is a point of pride for him, spiteful as it is to age old goblin culture.

--What are 4 rumors around the guild or around town about your character? Try to hit Good/True, Bad/True, Good/False, and Bad/False.

Some townsfolk say Jebediah, along with Layla and perhaps a few other unspecified persons, are trying to bring more of the "monstrous" races into the city and take it over.

Some think that Jebediah is aiming be a guild leader; most are confident he has the meticulous mind and methodical habits needed to run an organization like an adventurer's guild...and he probably could.

Despite his best efforts to be a legitimate doctor and reputable alchemist, rumors never cease that he is attempting to poison someone, be it nobility, the guild leaders or just the gnomish population.

More than once, saboteurs have tried to destroy Jebediah's reputation and kill him in the process. Some may have contracted incurable diseases in the process...

--Adventuring is a dangerous profession, does your character have a will? What does it contain?

Having no family or dependents to leave anything to, Jebediah has never considered writing a will. His possessions are fairly valuable, but many are useless to anyone other than an alchemist and he considers the finding of such treasures to be part of the fun of the adventuring life.

--Competition is a big motivator for some adventurers. Who is your rival? It could be friendly, unfriendly, intense, one-sided, etc.

Valia Sorrowsong is an elven cleric who sees Jebediah's success as directly undermining divine magic, her bow, her elven culture and her deity, which is to say, all the things that matter to her and all things Jebediah disdains. While she does not directly attack him in any way and makes no move to break any laws to undermine him, she makes no secret of her distaste for everything Jeb is and what he might represent. When asked, he shrugs and chalks it up to the ancient feud between elves and goblinkind.

--Does your character have any ranks in a Craft, Perform, or Profession skill? If so, which one and where did they learn their craft?

Alchemy. Jebediah is an alchemist to the bone. He picked up the basics of the craft from Silus Ceruleus, an old apothecary who was unaffiliated with the guild but had done business with them on more than one occasion. Jeb's fertile mind was easily fascinated with alchemy and quickly picked up the basics. As Jeb was doing odd jobs while training for the guild at the time, he spent his earnings on lessons with his teacher. Unfortunately for Silus, Jeb learned so quickly that his apprenticeship didn't last long. While Silus was impressed with Jeb's talent, he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't teach the young goblin more (and get paid for doing so.)

--What are your character’s short term, mid-term, and long-term goals?

Jebediah tends not to think on as short a term as one might expect of a goblin. He does aspire to fill out his collection of alchemical formulae with every new and exciting effect he can find. In the long term, he does seek enrichment for the House first and foremost. On a personal note, he would like to see from the people in general a bit less faith in the gods and a bit more faith in people and science. One idea that has struck him as particularly noteworthy is the notion of an alchemical academy wherein he might teach the sciences to young minds, much the same way wizards would teach magic in their colleges. He is also interested in returning to the mana wastes for research and study, though he is in no hurry.

--What phobia or trauma has happened in your character’s past to help them become who they are today?

The extermination of his birth warren drove him from home when he was young. While the trauma of so much death left its mark, Jeb was young enough not to have very strong bonds with his goblin family or their culture and felt little loss beyond the loneliness and fear of facing the wilds alone.

--How does your character view the Gods?

Jeb views the gods much as he views Layla: while he respects their abilities and contributions, he would rather not depend on them for everything. He doesn't attempt to refute the gods' existence but he does question their omnipotence and their intentions. He sees them, at least in part, as a challenge. How far can mortals go without them? How far can he undermine them without openly declaring war on their followers? Time will tell.

--Looking at your team, how does your character feel about the others?

Crow is a bit of a dichotomy for Jeb. While he makes no secret of his dislike of religion, he does respect Crow's apparent willingness to use his brain before his blade or his preaching. He also appreciates that Crow seems to disdain bullying, despite his size. His eyes tend to glaze over if Crow starts talking about his precious patron deity, but otherwise the two usually get along.

Edmund makes decent company; a man of similar intellect, Jeb knows he can at least hold a conversation at his own level and about topics related to his interests, even if sometimes only tangentially.

Jeb finds Dumfloofer slightly amusing, somewhat exhausting at times, but dependable. It disappoints him that Dum can only
become a wolf once a day; he's often remarked at the idea of commissioning a special saddle. Despite his sometimes acidic humor, he knows for a fact he'd rather have Dum as a comrade than an enemy.

Jeb sees River for what she is: a very long lived, naive, talkative child...with considerable control over water itself. Rationally, he knows he can't stay mad at her for her mistakes or her occasionally endless stream of thoughts to words because he was a child once too (and he doesn't want to find his formula book soaked...again...but she exasperates him nonetheless.

--How does your character deal with failure? Success?

Failure is nothing new to Jebediah; he's grown quite accustomed to wasting materials on a concoction that doesn't function properly or seeing a thrown bomb go errant. He actually chose part of his new name because of a quote from his teacher Silus: "Success is a castle built on the stones of perseverence and the mortar of our failures."