Grong the Translucent, a Bugbear Paladin — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0088

Grong the Translucent

"Warden of the Fragile Peace"

Male (He/Him) · Middle-aged, 34 years

Ability Scores

STR
16
+3
DEX
14
+2
CON
14
+2
INT
12
+1
WIS
10
+0
CHA
18
+4

Combat

Armor Class
17
Half-Plate (Silk-covered) + Dex
Hit Points
76
Hit Dice: 9d10
Initiative
+2
Speed
30 ft.
Proficiency
+4
Passive Perception
10

Attacks

The Blowpipe (Mace)+71d6+3 bludgeoning
Unarmed Strike (Merciful)+74 bludgeoning

Personality

Personality

Grong speaks in a melodic, resonant whisper, as if loud noises might shatter the air around him. He is obsessively clean, frequently buffing his short-trimmed claws against his fine silk waistcoat.

Ideal

Order. 'Societal peace is a complex lattice of glass; once cracked, the structural integrity of the whole is compromised.'

Bond

A small, chipped glass hummingbird—the first thing he ever made—which he keeps in a padded pocket near his heart.

Flaw

His fear of his own heritage is paralyzing; he will allow himself to be physically struck rather than risk a counter-attack that might 'wake the beast'.

Backstory

In the soot-choked annals of the Iron-Tooth warband, Grong was a 'reacher'—the first through the window to snatch what was most precious. His life shifted during the sacking of Oakhaven. Amidst the screams, Grong’s massive hand closed around a carved wooden horse. The sound of that toy splintering under his unconscious grip resonated with a sickening, hollow 'crack' that echoed deeper than any bone he had ever broken. In that moment of absolute silence amidst the chaos, Grong didn't see loot; he saw the irreparable nature of destruction. He realized that a lifetime of building could be undone by a second of cruelty.

He fled the warband that night, carrying only the splinters of the horse. Grong wandered into the Free City of Orizon and apprenticed himself to a blind glassblower, seeking the one trade where his terrifying strength was a liability. He learned to breathe life into sand, discovering that the heat of the furnace could temper his own boiling blood. Now, he operates 'The Vitreous Vault,' a shop so delicate that even a heavy footfall could bankrupt him. He has traded his morningstar for a blowpipe, and his war-cries for a soft, rhythmic breathing that keeps his hands from shaking when the 'civilized' world comes to mock the monster in the silk doublet.

Abilities & Actions

Aura of the Glassmaker (9th Level Feature)

Grong and friendly creatures within 10 feet of him have resistance to radiant damage. Additionally, when a creature within this aura takes damage, Grong can use his reaction to magically take that damage instead of the creature. This doesn't transfer any other effects.

The Logic of the Fragile (3/Day)

As an action, Grong begins a soft-spoken lecture on the social contract. Each creature of his choice within 30 feet that can hear him must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is Charmed for 1 minute. While Charmed, the creature's speed is 0 and it is Incapacitated as it is overcome by a sudden, crushing sense of shame and existential boredom.

Vitreous Aegis (Signature Item)

Grong carries a shield made of magically reinforced stained glass. When he uses his Channel Divinity: Rebuke the Violent, the shield flares with kaleidoscopic light. The attacker takes radiant damage equal to the damage it just dealt on a failed DC 16 Wisdom save, and the shield grants Grong a +2 bonus to AC until the start of his next turn as the light hardens the air.

Gentle Precision

Grong has advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and any tool checks involving fragile materials. If he rolls a 1 on a Strength check, he does not fail; instead, he automatically succeeds but becomes Stunned until the end of his next turn as he over-analyzes the force he just exerted.

DM Notes

Sample dialogue: 'Please, friend... your posture is aggressive, which suggests a deficit in your rhetorical education. Shall we discuss the logistics of your grievance?' Grong never looks people in the eye while working; he watches their reflections in his glasswares. He constantly taps a small peppermint candy on his bench but never eats it—it is a sensory anchor to keep him from losing his temper.