Grog Strongjaw

OOC INFORMATION
Player Name: Chris
Pronoun Preferences: she/they
Contact: millennialfalcon / discord: objectpermanence
Are you over the age of 18?: very much so
Invitation Link: I live here
Current Characters: Portentia Poppyfield (who will be dropped)
Link to Permissions: here

IC INFORMATION
Character Name: Grog Strongjaw
Species: Goliath
Canon: Critical Role
Canon Point: Campaign 1, episode 102, just after Vecna banishes him to the Shadowfell.
Character Age: Adult (no specific age given in canon)
CRAU: No
CRAU Explanation: N/A
Character Appearance: Grog is 8’7” tall with grey skin and black tattoos, including one of a bear across his back. His body is covered in many scars, most notably one in the center of his chest, which is always visible because he doesn't wear shirts. Thanks to a magical item, Grog usually has a bushy black beard, but he will be arriving in game without that item.
Powers and Abilities: Grog is a level 15 Barbarian and a level 3 Fighter.

As a Barbarian, Grog can enter a rage, which makes him stronger, more durable, and makes his attacks deal more damage. He can attack recklessly which makes him more likely to land his attacks, but has the trade off of making his opponent's attacks also more likely to hit him. He can make multiple attacks per round of combat, and is more likely to be the first to attack. When he scores a critical hit, his attacks deal even more damage than any other class of adventurer's critical attacks, with that effect increasing as he becomes a higher level Barbarian. Grog's Barbarian path is that of the Berserker, which means he can go into a frenzied rage, allowing him to make even more attacks at the cost of exhausting himself once he exits the rage after the battle. While he is raging, he cannot be charmed or frightened.

As a Fighter, Grog gains the abilities of Action Surge, which allows him to make even more attacks in one round, and Second Wind, which allows him to boost his stamina and recover health (each of these features can be used once per day). Grog's Fighter archetype is Battle Master, which means he gains the ability to use certain maneuvers. He can now trip and disarm opponents as part of his attacks, and can parry attacks made against him to reduce the damage he takes from them. He also became proficient in a certain type of artisan's tools. (The exact type of artisan's tools is not specified, but I am choosing brewer's tools as a headcanon.)

Additionally, Grog has taken several feats to make him better in combat. He is Tough, which gives him more vitality and health, he is Mobile, which means he is unimpeded by difficult terrain when dashing on his turn, and that he doesn't provoke any attacks of opportunity from an opponent who he has targeted with a melee attack. His final feat is that of Great Weapon Master, which means when he scores a critical hit or knocks an opponent unconscious with a melee weapon, he can make another melee attack as a bonus action. Additionally, he can choose to take an accuracy penalty on an attack in exchange for dealing more brutal damage.

What Did Your Character Wish For? To not be trapped in the Shadowfell, alone and about to be beset by monsters.
What Potion Did They Receive? Cerulean
Did They Drink It? At first, when someone tells Grog that the potion does healing magic, he'll assume it works like a normal healing potion in D&D works (i.e. a one-time use item that will heal you when you are injured). After someone explains that, no, it actually will grant him the power to heal other people, only then will he drink it.

Character Questions:
1. Who is the person your character is most bonded with from their canon? Or who is someone they miss the most?

Grog's relationship with everyone in Vox Machina is important, but over anyone else, his most important relationships are with Pike Trickfoot and Scanlan Shorthalt.

Back before any of these adventures began, Grog was living with his herd of goliaths, the Herd of Storms, which was led by his uncle, Kevdak. One day, the herd came across an old gnomish man named Wilhand Trickfoot, traveling on his own with a cart of vegetables. Kevdak and the others wanted to attack the gnome, but Grog stood up to his uncle and defended Wilhand. For his disobedience, Kevdak and the rest of the herd beat Grog to within an inch of his life. Wilhand later sent his great-great-granddaughter Pike to find Grog and heal him. Pike brought Grog to Westruun, where he lived with the Trickfoots and started a new life. If it wasn't for Pike, Grog never would have become the adventurer he is now, able to be both strong and kind.

After he parted ways with Pike, Grog teamed up with Scanlan and a few other adventurers, just traveling around making a buck. Grog and Scanlan bonded over their love of ale and women, often visiting brothels together. They had each other's backs on many occasions, and grew to be the best of friends. Later, when Scanlan decided to leave Vox Machina, Grog was hurt, but he respected Scanlan's reasons for wanting to go, knowing that they hadn't taken him seriously as a member of their party.

2. What are they most afraid of?

Grog's biggest fear would be his friends dying, and him being powerless to save them. He relies on his ability to fight and win battles in order to keep his friends safe, and if he couldn't do that, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Grog's current canon point is during a pivotal battle against a newly resurrected lich/wannabe god, Vecna. Vecna is a powerful spellcaster, and he used his magic to effectively take Grog out of the battle, by banishing him to another plane (Shadowfell), where he was immediately set upon by monsters. Separated from his friends, Grog can no longer protect them, and in turn, he can no longer count on them to have his back. This is why his wish is to be rescued from the Shadowfell. It is a last-ditch effort wish, made out of fear and desperation.

3. What is their weakness? Emotionally, mentally and physically?

Grog is physically incredibly strong, but his weakness is that he relies on that strength, and when it is taken from him (usually through magical means), he can feel very insecure and unworthy. He feels like without his strength, he is nothing.

Mentally speaking, Grog is weak all over. He has an Intelligence score of 6, which means he is so dumb that he is functionally illiterate. He's terrible at reading and writing and even worse with math. (Though he has been practicing his letters and can read/write words up to 4-5 letters now!) He makes up for this intellectual deficiency with an unearned confidence, but that can lead to him spending way more money than something is worth, and still thinking that he's walking away with a good deal.

Emotionally, Grog is a simple man. He feels every emotion with his whole heart, whether that is anger, love, or fear. He's not guarded in his emotions at all, and sets himself up to be easily manipulated in this way.

4. What would make them happiest?

Grog is an easy man to make happy. Give him a well stocked bar and a pretty looking woman, and he's set for the night. Outside of recreation, Grog is happiest following someone else's lead. While Grog is generally good-aligned (heroic, compassionate, brave), he is far happier in a support role, helping to back up and coordinate with his friends, rather than being the one making any decisions about plans or strategy. Point him at an enemy and turn him loose, and he will happily grind that enemy to paste beneath his fists.

5. What’s their type for a lover?

Grog isn't interested in a long-term relationship, and prefers visiting whatever "house of lady favors" is close by on any given night. He's definitely a no-commitment kind of guy, when it comes to sex. He strongly prefers women over men, but I don't think he'd be fully opposed to fooling around with a guy if they were both into it.

Samples: TDM top level