Muttchops Welber (Barber)
As promised, here is another gnome NPC, along with role-playing tips and hints at how to use him in your campaign. The end of this post includes another gadget built using my Epic Gnomish Inventing supplement available from the DMs Guild.
Enjoy!
"Nothing says more about you than the hair on your head and the whiskers on your chin."
Muttchops (N) is a worldly, 201-year-old, male forest gnome who prides himself on the elegantly extravagant hair and beard styles he creates for his clients. Eminently concerned with appearances, he constantly re-imagines his own thick locks and sweeping beard into works of art. He routinely uses illusionary magic to accentuate both; his favorite trick is to make his beard twinkle like a star-filled night sky. He operates a shop called Hair Affair out of his home burrow but also frequents carnivals, festivals, fairs, and other gatherings in a princely, mobile salon. These excursions help him keep up with local events, rumors, political intrigues, and other important goings on. He quietly sells this information to a select clientele.
Bond: I will do anything to prove my talents are superior to those who taught me.
Flaw: I'm painfully jealous of anyone who outshines me.
Play MuttChops as outgoing and comfortable in every social situation. You are equally adept at conversing on a wide range of subjects. Your travels have, after all, offered many intriguing experiences. Pity those who have no sense of style. They can't help their ignorance. Reserve snark only for posers, those who incorrectly believe their banal efforts merit admiration and praise. Always be on the lookout for an opportunity to show off your own skills and be sure to discredit anyone who threatens to outdo you. Be cautious when dealing in information. It is a speciality, a side-job, and not your primary interest in life. You want to be known as an artist, not a mere trader. Always insist that you be allowed to sculpt a buyer’s hair (and beard should they have one) as part of the price they must pay.
Strongly Like: undying love for your talents,
Like: admiration/appreciation for your skills, honest interest in hair/beard fashions, willingness to let you experiment with hair/beard styles, keeping your side-business a secret
Dislike: those who believe they are stylish when they really are not, unstylish appearances
Strongly Dislike: produce better work than you
The Express Wisdom Convolutinator is a fine piece of gnomish gadgetry that dazzles, befuddles, and otherwise abuses the senses of anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its area affect, rendering them more susceptible to sweet-talk, intimidation, lies, and other actions that require a bit of wisdom to combat. When activated, this tiny gadget creates a 15 ft. by 15 ft. cube of sensory distractions directly in front of its emitter, including a barely perceptible hum that rattles the brain, gentle puffs of glittering floaty bits that distract the eyes, and subtle aromas of a confoundingly ambiguous nature. Anyone entering this cube or starting their turn in this cube must make a Wisdom saving throw against the Express Wisdom Convolutinator's Gadget Save DC. Upon a failed save, the victim suffers a -3 penalty to all Wisdom-based skill checks until the start of their next turn. The gadget remains active for up to 1 minute or until you shut it off.
The following is the stat block for this gadget, using the rules in my Epic Gnomish Inventing supplement available on the DM's Guild (link below).
* Patent pending. Name is a working title until we can find enough guinea pigs...er, suckers...I mean beta testers willing to subject themselves to this gadget's wonderful effects.
Enjoy!
Muttchops Welber
(MUTT-chops well-BURR)"Nothing says more about you than the hair on your head and the whiskers on your chin."
Muttchops (N) is a worldly, 201-year-old, male forest gnome who prides himself on the elegantly extravagant hair and beard styles he creates for his clients. Eminently concerned with appearances, he constantly re-imagines his own thick locks and sweeping beard into works of art. He routinely uses illusionary magic to accentuate both; his favorite trick is to make his beard twinkle like a star-filled night sky. He operates a shop called Hair Affair out of his home burrow but also frequents carnivals, festivals, fairs, and other gatherings in a princely, mobile salon. These excursions help him keep up with local events, rumors, political intrigues, and other important goings on. He quietly sells this information to a select clientele.
Using Muttchops
Ideal: I like seeing the excitement in my customers eyes when they see what I've done with their hair.Bond: I will do anything to prove my talents are superior to those who taught me.
Flaw: I'm painfully jealous of anyone who outshines me.
Play MuttChops as outgoing and comfortable in every social situation. You are equally adept at conversing on a wide range of subjects. Your travels have, after all, offered many intriguing experiences. Pity those who have no sense of style. They can't help their ignorance. Reserve snark only for posers, those who incorrectly believe their banal efforts merit admiration and praise. Always be on the lookout for an opportunity to show off your own skills and be sure to discredit anyone who threatens to outdo you. Be cautious when dealing in information. It is a speciality, a side-job, and not your primary interest in life. You want to be known as an artist, not a mere trader. Always insist that you be allowed to sculpt a buyer’s hair (and beard should they have one) as part of the price they must pay.
Recurring Appearances
The party will likely interact with you in a professional manner, whether that be in your preferred capacity or your ancillary activities depends on the situation. Gravitate toward those who admire your work, turn away from those who show no interest in your talents, and target those who threaten to shine brighter than you. More likes indicate a general friendliness that leaves you more willing to do business with the party. More dislikes indicate a general disregard for the party turning to active belligerence only if the party, or someone in the party, has the potential to do better work than you.Strongly Like: undying love for your talents,
Like: admiration/appreciation for your skills, honest interest in hair/beard fashions, willingness to let you experiment with hair/beard styles, keeping your side-business a secret
Dislike: those who believe they are stylish when they really are not, unstylish appearances
Strongly Dislike: produce better work than you
One Off
Muttchops hires the party to protect him during a trip to a harvest festival. One of the following occurs: while traveling to the festival wild creatures harass the group, while traveling to the festival the group gets lost in deadly landscape, while at the festival a group of bandits kidnap Muttchops, while at the festival an intense competition between Muttchops and another barber lead to dangerous consequences, while at the festival Muttchops is caught trading secrets and must escape.Story Arc
The party must play a key role in an espionage campaign that involves Muttchops and his talents. The campaign is centered on one of the following: a noble who is engaged in criminal activity, a series of magical events concentrated in a specific location, an enemy state that is developing a deadly weapon, new and suspicious activity in a long abandoned mine.Side Quest
Muttchops enrolls the party to do one of the following: collect a set of very rare hair/beard products, convince someone to let Muttchops style their hair/beard, find out who is sullying his reputation, gather rare ingredients for a very special hair tonic.Gadget: Express Wisdom Convolutinator*
There comes a time in just about anyone's life when one must confuse their friends, business associates, competitors, and/or enemies without causing too much suspicion or lasting damage to their psyches. Maybe you want to get a better deal on a fine pair of shoes. Perhaps you want to convince your friend to buy the drinks for the rest of the evening. Or maybe you need to fast talk your way out of getting a blade slipped in between your ribs.The Express Wisdom Convolutinator is a fine piece of gnomish gadgetry that dazzles, befuddles, and otherwise abuses the senses of anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its area affect, rendering them more susceptible to sweet-talk, intimidation, lies, and other actions that require a bit of wisdom to combat. When activated, this tiny gadget creates a 15 ft. by 15 ft. cube of sensory distractions directly in front of its emitter, including a barely perceptible hum that rattles the brain, gentle puffs of glittering floaty bits that distract the eyes, and subtle aromas of a confoundingly ambiguous nature. Anyone entering this cube or starting their turn in this cube must make a Wisdom saving throw against the Express Wisdom Convolutinator's Gadget Save DC. Upon a failed save, the victim suffers a -3 penalty to all Wisdom-based skill checks until the start of their next turn. The gadget remains active for up to 1 minute or until you shut it off.
The following is the stat block for this gadget, using the rules in my Epic Gnomish Inventing supplement available on the DM's Guild (link below).
* Patent pending. Name is a working title until we can find enough guinea pigs...er, suckers...I mean beta testers willing to subject themselves to this gadget's wonderful effects.
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