Sprout, a Goblin Paladin — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0039

Sprout

"The Silver-Bark Sentinel"

Female (She/Her) · Young Adult (14 years)

Ability Scores

STR
14
+2
DEX
10
+0
CON
16
+3
INT
8
-1
WIS
12
+1
CHA
16
+3

Combat

Armor Class
19
Scavenged Splint & Shield
Hit Points
40
Hit Dice: 4d10
Initiative
+0
Speed
25 ft.
Proficiency
+2
Passive Perception
11

Attacks

Rusted Longsword (The Mercy-Blade)+41d8 + 2 slashing
Divine SmiteN/A+2d8 radiant

Personality

Personality

Sprout speaks in a raspy whisper to avoid disturbing the 'quiet of the leaves.' She is obsessively careful with her movements, often stopping to apologize to stones she accidentally kicks.

Ideal

Preservation. 'The world is a garden that forgot it was loved; I am here to remind it.'

Bond

The 'Forgiveness Jar' at her hip; she believes if she can plant enough life to outweigh the ash of the Spirit Grove, she might finally sleep without hearing the trees scream.

Flaw

Pacifism-Panic. When forced into violence, she often weeps or mutters prayers for the things she is hurting, which can leave her hesitant in the heat of battle.

Backstory

In the soot-choked tunnels of the Cragpeaks, she was 'Biter,' a creature of jagged teeth and scavenged spite. Her life was defined by the screeching mandates of Chieftain Gnash: steal, break, and burn. The turning point came at the Spirit Grove of Oakhaven. Tasked with torching the ancient weirwood, Biter watched the sap boil and heard the wood scream—not a physical sound, but a psychic snap that mirrored the fracturing of her own soul. When she saw her kin laughing as they poured oil on a sapling, something ancient and green awoke within her. She didn't just stop; she struck. She drove her rusted scrap-shiv into Gnash’s leg and stood over the sapling, a tiny wall of trembling meat and iron.

Exiled and hunted, she spent years in the deep woods, learning the language of the roots from the very trees she almost helped destroy. She scavenged the battlefields of 'tall-folk' for armor, not for glory, but to survive the hazards of the wilds she now protects. She took the name Sprout, a promise to the earth that she would be something that grows rather than something that consumes. She carries a heavy burden—both in the literal weight of her patchwork plate and the spiritual weight of her past sins—walking with a delicate, high-stepping gait as if afraid to bruise the world beneath her boots.

Abilities & Actions

Seeds of the Forgiven (3/Day)

As a bonus action, Sprout reaches into her 'Forgiveness' jar and sows a handful of enchanted seeds into a 10-foot square within 30 feet. For the next minute, the area is difficult terrain for enemies. Any ally who starts their turn in the area regains 1d4 hit points as the earth provides a momentary sanctuary.

Nature's Rebuke (Channel Divinity)

As an action, Sprout can present her tortoise-shell shield. Each fey or fiend within 30 feet that can see her must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

Patchwork Bulwark

Sprout’s armor is a mess of iron and nature. When she is hit by an attack, she can use her reaction to have a piece of bark or scrap metal absorb the blow. She gains resistance to the damage of that attack, but her AC is reduced by 1 until she spends a short rest repairing the suit.

Lay on Hands (20 HP)

Sprout touches a creature, her hands glowing with a soft, chlorophyll-green light. She can restore a total of 20 hit points, or spend 5 points to neutralize one poison or cure one disease.

DM Notes

Sprout should be played with a mix of extreme fragility and immovable conviction. She is not a hero because she is brave; she is a hero because she is terrified of being a monster again. Sample dialogue: 'Please... don't step on the clover. It’s trying its best.' When combat starts, she doesn't draw her sword immediately—she often tries to place herself between the threat and the party, taking the Dodge action while begging for a peaceful resolution.