Cook

Some are born into the life as the son or daughter of an innkeeper. Others work as one for good wages, and others still to provide for those in need. Some just need an easy way to slip an enemy poison. These people are cooks, and whatever your reason, you count yourself among their ranks.

There is an old Halfling saying that, roughly translated into Common, goes like this: “A cook thrives in the kitchen.” Simple, but true. Most cooks never leave their home and place of work except to the market for ingredients, and there are those who are so territorial over their domain of cookery that none are allowed to step foot within their kitchen. These cast iron-hearted warriors wield spoon and pan and knife (sometimes all at once, however they manage that particular wonder), and none will stop them on their quest to insure their friends and family are comfortably fed… and fed… and fed…

Yes, a cook does indeed thrive in the kitchen, but there are some cooks who can make a kitchen anywhere. These adventurous wanderers are most at home traveling the land, seeking new recipes, new ingredients, and new techniques in order to perfect their culinary prowess. Most of these traveling cooks are more at home in the company of others, either relentlessly smoothing them with good food and overbearing care, or else forcing them to try culinary experiment after culinary experiment. Some chefs, however, find themselves paranoidly hiding away their recipes, determined that their secrets stay with them and them alone until the day they die, and maybe even beyond that.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from History, Nature, Medicine, or Survival.

Tool Proficiencies: Cook’s utensils and one of either calligrapher’s supplies or herbalism kit

Equipment: Cook’s utensils; common clothes including a plain apron to keep your clothing clean and a handkerchief or bandana to tie back your hair; a loose-leaf book of recipes you’ve created, collected, or perfected; a writing kit (a small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife) with which to add notes and recipes to your recipe book, a bar of soap, and a pouch with 5 gold pieces.

Suggested Characteristics

Cooks emerge for many reasons: passion for the culinary arts, born into a family of tavern workers, a desire to eradicate hunger, and so many more. Their study of cookery, adoration of food, or other reasons for their profession can open many doors. It affects their mannerisms and ideals, and their bond is typically related to the place where they learned to cook, a beloved recipe, or a desire for perfection. Their flaws are usually reflective of their history with cookery and food, and both their bonds and flaws together often show how they came to be proficient in the culinary arts.

d10	Personality Trait
1	I often use euphemisms relating to food, eating, and the art of cookery.
2	I am constantly trying new things--new meals, new ingredients, new ways to prepare meals. Sometimes they work, and other times... not so much.
3	Table etiquette? What table etiquette? Food is the only thing that belongs on a table.
4	A well-prepared dish can easily hide to taste of certain unsavory ingredients.
5	I idolize a particular chef to the point where my own culinary skills can seem like garbage to me.
6	You will never find me without a snack in hand.
7	I write down notes and inspiration for dishes whenever the mood strikes me, even if it is an inopportune moment.
8	I am a perfectionist. My food, like all things in life, must be perfectly prepared, cooked, and eaten.
9	Presentation is everything.
10	Food is fuel—the better the food, the better the fuel, the better I function. Simple math.

d6	Ideal
1	Instruction: Recipes, like all things in life, exist for a reason. (Lawful)
2	Experimentation: How do you know if you like something unless you try it? (Chaotic)
3	Charity: No one should ever have to suffer from the pain and misery of hunger. (Good)
4	Power: He who controls the food supply controls the will of the hungry and desperate. (Evil)
5	Balance: A well-balanced diet helps you achieve a well-balanced body, mind, and soul. (Neutral)
6	Together: Food can bridge the gap between species, culture, and language. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	My recipe book is my life’s work.
2	I have suffered from starvation, and I seek to end hunger everywhere I can.
3	Everything I do is to get me closer to my dream of becoming a world-famous culinary artist.
4	I seek to find my mentor, a master chef who disappeared some time ago.
5	The tavern, restaurant, or other place where I learnt my craft is more important to me than any other location.
6	I aim to create the perfect dish.

d6	Flaw
1	I judge my cooking harshly. Why wouldn’t I judge others the similarly?
2	My relentless search for perfection gets in the way of all other pursuits.
3	I refuse to try anything new or vary from the tried and true path.
4	I hoard my food and my talents in equally extreme measure.
5	I am my own worst critic, and others can find my endless moping very irritating.
6	What’s so wrong with indulging yourself every once in a while… every day… many times a day…