Mortician

You spent your youth curious about death and what happens afterwards.  As you grew up, you apprenticed with an undertaker before taking the job on yourself.  You became very skilled at the duties performed around the rites of passage and developed into a Master yourself.  In this dangerous world, your skills are always in demand and as a result you have not known the pain of poverty for quite some time. 

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Insight, Medicine, Religion, Stealth, Performance 

Tool Proficiencies: Undertaker’s Tools and Choose 1 of Alchemist’s Supplies, Herbalism Kit, Poisoner’s Kit

Languages: Choose any two of Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, Goblin, Halfling, Orcish, Draconic, Sylvan 

Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a holy book, a set of Undertaker’s Tools, choose one additional toolkit (Alchemist’s Supplies, Herbalism Kit, Poisoner’s Kit), and a pouch containing 55gp.

Undertaker’s Tools: 

• Precision knives
• Bone saw
• Needle and Thread
• Makeup and brushes
• Long hook
• Five hand towels
• 12 vials of assorted fluids 
• 6 pouches of herbs and spices
• an incense burner with 15gp worth of incense 

 

Suggested Characteristics

Morticians are often seen as slightly “off”.  This can mean they are quiet, reserved, and solemn - or it can mean they are oddly upbeat, even in the most dire of situations.  They converse with anyone, regardless of station in life, for all are equal in the eyes of death.  Many do not see death as any sort of end, but rather a transition from one leg of life’s journey to the next.  As such, they are not prone to grief themselves, but frequently serve as sounding boards for those who are.  This can sometimes lead to a mortician being seen as cold and dispassionate, or sensitive and romantic. 

d8	Personality Trait
1	When I prepare a body for the next life, I do so with excrutiating detail. I take intense pride in my work.
2	I have little patience for those who do not respect the resting place of the dead.
3	I take a keen interest in the mental and emotional state of the bereaved.
4	I’m full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every situation.
5	I have little time for those who think themselves better than others. Even gods die.
6	Events in life often remind me of people I have buried. I share their stories and prolong their memory.
7	My trade is my life’s calling and I am highly skilled. I will not perform it without a proper exchange.
8	I find the living too often judgmental - I am quiet and resered around them. I’d rather discuss my thoughts with a corpse.

d6	Ideal
1	Community. Each of us has a position in the world. When one falls, others must step forth to fill the void. (LAWFUL)
2	Generosity. My blessings are not mine alone - I must use them to bless others and the world. (GOOD)
3	Freedom. We all die, so why should we adhere to rules that deny us a happy life? (CHAOTIC)
4	Greed. I am a collector of souls and of gold. In the end, they all will be mine. (EVIL)
5	People. I am here to comfort and serve those around me. Death need not breed despair when I am nearby. (Neutral)
6	Religion. The gods have a purpose for every life and every death. My duty is not to question them, but to serve faithfully.

d6	Bond
1	My family’s parlor is the most important thing in the world to me.
2	I have a hoard of treasures I’ve taken off the dead - they didn’t need them anyway.
3	I perform my duties at my best to impress a loved one who is no longer alive.
4	I will undo the curse that has befallen my family, even if it means my death.
5	I must protect the dead from the scourge of the living who mean them harm.
6	I must follow the will of my god, even when it means I must suffer loss.

d6	Flaw
1	I fear death immensely and do my work in hopes of finding a way to avoid it.
2	My love for the dead surpasses my love for any mortals.
3	I often use the drugs of my trade recreationally, in order to cope with a hidden pain.
4	A seed of evil burns within me, and I fear the day I am too weak to contain it.
5	I’m not above killing to maintain a steady flow of business to my parlor.
6	I purposefully desecrate the final rites of those who follow other gods than my own.