So, I'm newish to Pathfinder, have read Ogre's guide to Alchemists, and am musing over/tweaking a LN Hobgoblin Alchemist.
I can't entirely make up my mind between going the Melee and the bombing routes, I'm also intrigued by the Chirurgeon archetype, the Knowledge (engineering) skill bonus (that comes with the "engineer" alt racial), and frankly, indulging in at least a bit of heel-race-turn (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeelRaceTurn). (No, I don't plan on having a soundtrack sung by Thurl Ravenscroft :) )
I am the sort to pull away from an optimal build for some combination of RP and alternate ability... enough that I've considered taking, just for example, Skill Focus: Knowledge (Engineering).
Has anybody thoughts on the mechanics of such a character or the position of Hobgoblins in Avistan, and their contributions to civilization? I don't think I want to have the character come from some in-hiding group from Isger, and I'm not sure how I feel about military service in Molthune.
Has this stuff been explored a lot in different adventure paths or supplements?
