Best background for character concept: Alchemical 'mad bomber'

[Naanomi]

Character: Transmuter Wizard alchemist (either rock gnome or fire genasi, undecided at this time)

Dilemma: I like the feel of several of the background features (the skills themselves don't matter much to me, we allow custom backgrounds in either case)

Thoughts:
~Hermit: secret being my own secret explosives formula
~Inheritor: inherited the book of secret explosive formulas from my (now exploded?) mentor
~Artisan: member of the 'alchemist's' guild
~Sage: look up reclusive explosive formulas

Opinions?

[Honest Tiefling]

I'd ask the DM. Maybe they have some plans for a rival guild or another heir to your mentor. One of the options may be easier to tie into the story, setting or party that we don't know about. If you don't mind linking your backstory to other player characters, consider asking one of them for advice.

[Naanomi]

I'd ask the DM. Maybe they have some plans for a rival guild or another heir to your mentor. One of the options may be easier to tie into the story, setting or party that we don't know about. If you don't mind linking your backstory to other player characters, consider asking one of them for advice.
Sorry, I mean 'I'm the GM, a player wants to play this character idea and is looking for guidance. I'm looking for some ideas that would make the best results for this concept, here are some of the basic ideas I have so far'

[Honest Tiefling]

Ah! My bad. Well, if you are the GM...Which one suits your story better? Are Alchemists chased to the fringes of civilization due to being considered mad and dangerous? Or are they more commonly found in powerful, but restrictive guilds? (Hermit or Artisan, respectively). Especially gnomish or genasi ones, who might not be accepted readily in some cultures.

What are the goals of the player? Do they want to chase down alchemical formulas and have that be their goal? Pick Sage.

Does the character have a Mentor in mind? Can this mentor be inserted into the story? If yes, pick Inheritor.

[Naanomi]

In my setting there is an 'alchemist's guild' that works to keep the knowledge secret but... working outside of the guild generates just as many stories as working within it. In the end of the day I'll have to talk with the player more about some of those questions, but I was just sort of brainstorming ideas.

Plot, for what it is worth: a bit 'sandboxy', but the party is a mercenary crew working amidst a big civil war; but extraplanar forces are actually behind the war and ultimately they will discover that and (hopefully) work to stop the ongoing war by removing one or both of those influences

[Unoriginal]

I'd say: Criminal Background.


Mad Bombers are rarely upstanding members of society, given that, you know, they're mad and throw bombs.


Alternatively, Soldier Background for a demoman

[Maxilian]

You were one of the most respected Artificer, you were seen as a Genious by even your peers!, you were going to CHANGE THE WORLD!, you had everything in your hands, your greatest creation was almost complete, it was a "machine" that allowed anyone to harness the power of the Arcane through them, this alone brought a lot of different groups that were interested in your proyect, so money was rarely a problem, you poured your heart in this great machine, this machine will become your mark, in the world, in history, you WILL be someone for those that will come after you have pass, or... so you though.

The day the presentation came, everything that could go wrong, went wrong; Unsure why or how, the machine got overcharged and a great explosion happened (Mana Bomb ftw)

https://i1.wp.com/warchiefscommandboard.com/wp-content/uploads/manabomb.jpg

You don't know how or why, but you survived...., most likely a way for the Gods to make fun of you, for them to engorge in your suffering, in your FAILURE!, you... are no genious, you won't leave nothing more than a wound in this world, a wound that took everything dear for you; It seens that people suspected you died in the explosion, and... that may have been for the best, because you would be seen by them as a criminal, a mad man, the one who with his mad invention took the lives of hundreds while seeling nothing more than fake hopes

[archetypex]

You forgot an important class restriction.


He's only allowed to bomb at midnight. :-)

[Spore]

You are the GM and I think there is a sentence in the books about being able to create your own backgrounds.

[Naanomi]

You are the GM and I think there is a sentence in the books about being able to create your own backgrounds.
Well yeah, we do custom backgrounds... just usually still use the 'benefit' of one of the existing backgrounds

For what it is worth we went with 'hermit' and his secret is an almost perfected formula for smokeless powder