Need character advice

[noparlpf]

So in a real-life campaign I'm playing in this semester, our party is about to receive an...interesting addition. One guy missed one week but was unclear that he would be back the next week, so the DM killed off his character. Now he wants to come back in (and we really need a healer in the party).
Here's the downside: the party consists of a Druid, two Rangers, a Rogue, and a Wizard/Warlock. We started at 4th level and just hit 5th level, and both Rangers took Favored Enemy: Goblinoid because 90% of the things we fought during our last level were goblins. And the guy who's coming back in told me he built a goblin character.
As a Grippli Ranger with Favored Enemy: Goblinoid, how exactly am I supposed to react to a goblin offering us his services as a healer?

[Cog]

You've had some experience fighting goblinoids, and you've learned from that experience. Just because you have FE:Goblinoids written on your character sheet doesn't mean you can never trust one or get along with one - and a goblin ranger could just as easily make that selection as a human ranger could select humans. There's nothing in that situation that requires only a single possible reaction from you.

[noparlpf]

We literally just finished wiping out a goblin encampment that attacked and tried to eat us. This guy is supposed to be a remnant of their tribe, or something like that. Maybe a captive, I'm not sure.
I'm pretty sure that I remember grippli disliking orcs and goblins, so that's also a factor.

[Kol Korran]

i suggest talking to the DM so that he'll put up some situation where you see the plus sides to this guy.
for example: you are hurt in the mid of a strong fight, and he springs from somewhere, starting healing you. you're focused on the bigger threat, but take notice that this one is.... odd
or you could find a caravan/ village that was recently attacked, and for some reason this goblin is helping heal the people.

you get the idea...

another approach is to act on the mistrust, but aspire higher: a goblin alone, and a healer to boot? this is suspicious... what is he up to? he probably would have suspected we'd kill him outright. so perhaps he's up to something. we'll go along with him, for NOW... but we'll keep an eye on him. (as the story progress, you come to trust him for who he is)

a thirdidea would be to talk with the player and ask him to change to something less.. controversial.

[noparlpf]

I'm hoping things work out, but it doesn't seem to me as though picking a goblin was the best plan. (Our Druid is a wild elf, by the way.) I hope the guy manages to give us a decent reason to trust him.

[Kol Korran]

hey, not everyone needs to get along fine, just.. .enough. look at X-men for example. some of their tension is what makes the group great!

in my party there are two players who get along fine with everyone, and two who are more underhanded, and the characters disliked each other from the start. they never came to blows, but had some nice hillarious heated arguments, and sometime the right comment at the right time.

these two added A LOT to the game. friction is good, it is interesting.
also, it is not only his responsibility to find a reason for you to like him, it is yours as well. this is a team effort, and we seek to make EVERYONE enjoy their character. if the player isn't being a jerk, i suggest you try to meet him at the half point.

[erikun]

Favored Enemy just means that you are good and hunting them down and fighting them, not that you must hate every single one. Heck, you could take Favored Enemy: Human and work as a bounty hunter, tracking people down and knocking them out with a sap/Merciful weapon to bringing them in for bounty. (This probably doesn't work too well in Medievia, as prisons aren't a guaranteed thing.)

And besides, if dwarves and half-orcs are expected to work together in parties on a regular basis, then I don't see how a Favored Enemy would prevent it. It might bring up some interesting bits of conversation, at that.

[noparlpf]

I personally have no issues with either the player or his character (yet, anyway). I'm just worried that a party with a few racial predispositions to dislike goblins and a few (recent) bad experiences with goblins will have some issues.
On the bright side, I can be at least mostly sure I could take him in a fight. I have by far the highest hit points, AC, attack bonus, and saves in the party, although my damage dice are a little small. Maybe I'll just let him work with us if he comes off as benevolent and helpful, but be cautious and watch him carefully. I don't think I'll trust him to take any night watches.

Oh yeah, we're lost in the wilderness somewhere after a teleportation spell failed. The point of the campaign is to survive. The DM's using some interesting system he devised to keep track of our vitals. Two party members have taken a point of Con drain so far due to malnutrition and exposure to the elements.

[Vladislav]

Some people flavor Favored Enemy as "I really hate these creatures, and my hatred is so strong that it manifests itself as damage"

Others choose to fluff it as "I am well-trained to fight these creatures, I studied their culture and anathomy, I know how to hit them where it hurts, I know how to track them or spot them in the deep of the woods, but I don't feel any particular emotion toward them".

[Dr_S]

We literally just finished wiping out a goblin encampment that attacked and tried to eat us. This guy is supposed to be a remnant of their tribe, or something like that. Maybe a captive, I'm not sure.
I'm pretty sure that I remember grippli disliking orcs and goblins, so that's also a factor.

Take him captive! Spoils of war! and then eventually warm up to him :P
If this is the case at this moment he has more of a reason to hate you, but his tribe is dead so it's not like he has anywhere to run away too even if he thinks he can escape.

[Godskook]

Steps:
1.Read Goblins: Life through their eyes
2.Realize your situation is a lot like Min-Max's situation with Kin, but higher up the int score.
3.Talk to your DM to make sure the introduction isn't 'loaded' into a situation where you'd kill the new PC by default.
4.???
5.Profit!!!

(Technically, steps 2-5 should be labeled 3-6, and a new step #2 "Profit!!!" inserted, cause Goblins is *THAT* awesome).

[noparlpf]

Steps:
1.Read Goblins: Life through their eyes
2.Realize your situation is a lot like Min-Max's situation with Kin, but higher up the int score.
3.Talk to your DM to make sure the introduction isn't 'loaded' into a situation where you'd kill the new PC by default.
4.???
5.Profit!!!

(Technically, steps 2-5 should be labeled 3-6, and a new step #2 "Profit!!!" inserted, cause Goblins is *THAT* awesome).

Darn it. I have classes today. Now I'm going to be reading this and be late for class.

[Kol Korran]

Darn it. I have classes today. Now I'm going to be reading this and be late for class.

oh, but Goblins is an education of Pure Awesome! (especially after the GAP is formed)

[ClothedInVelvet]

oh, but Goblins is an education of Pure Awesome! (especially after the GAP is formed)

Next you'll suggest that he read through Looking for Group (http://www.lfgcomic.com) and he won't leave his room all weekend.

[noparlpf]

That's not entirely true because October break starts this weekend and because I live two hours away I'm not allowed to stay on campus. I can't read it while I'm in the car; I don't have one of those fancy modern cellphones with internet.

[Godskook]

Darn it. I have classes today. Now I'm going to be reading this and be late for class.

You're welcome :smalltongue:

[noparlpf]

Made it to class and back...but now I have to write a lab report and I'm busy being distracted by goblins.

[noparlpf]

That was excellent. It updates weekly?

[DoughGuy]

Updates tuesday and friday (GMT -8 I think).

As to your FE:Goblins it isnt that hard to work around it. Your character has simply been fighting against goblins for so long that they know all the weak spots to attack. Use this for fun with the new player. Threaten their character (in a friendly "I can do it but I wont ... yet" way), have a rivalry with them etc.