Races
In gaming terms, choosing your character’s race means you will select which sentient species you would like to belong to.
RPG Series
Illustrations by the inimitable Julie Dillon.
PERFUME OIL BLENDS
Presented in an amber apothecary vial
“You all meet at an inn…”
Pen and paper role-playing games have been a tremendous influence in my life since my formative years. My parents bought me the magenta D&D boxed set back in 1982, along with the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. My lifelong passion for fantasy, science fiction, war games, and mythology was well-channeled through RPGs, and I credit playing D&D with helping me sustain my imagination and sense of wonder through adulthood.
I played with one particular group through the bulk of my late teens and early 20s, and this series — along with the atmosphere tools that Black Phoenix Trading Post has introduced — was inspired, specifically, by the time that we spent campaigning together. Our group was somewhat prop-driven in our gaming: we felt that setting a mood was conducive to our style of gameplay. Little things like changes in lighting, minor sound effects, and music made a world of difference, and we found that utilizing miniatures, model railroad scenery, and other tools in order to physically illustrate strategies and provide visual cues was tremendously useful. How much more immersive would it have been if we’d been able to smell the crypt we were crawling through? Or the stench of steel and blood that permeates a warrior’s cloak? What do the wizard’s spell components smell like? What does winter in the desert smell like? Or spring in a druid’s sanctuary?
Pen and paper role playing games are, to me, dynamic stories that are propelled by the active participation of many individuals. You can’t have a strong storyline without creating characters of some depth. When you create a character, you generally have their personalities, priorities, and history in mind, along with a clear vision of what your character looks and sounds like. But how does she smell? What does the world around her smell like?
In most pen and paper fantasy RPGs, three of the primary attributes that you must choose for your character are race, class, and alignment. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s RPG scent series was designed to emulate the character creation process, and are meant to be layered in order to create a character concept. In short: you layer your class, race, and the two fragrances that compose your alignment to construct your character scent. RPGs in all their myriad forms — CRPGs, MMOs, and old school pen and paper — have brought me immeasurable joy. This is my homage. This series is dedicated to my first DMs — my parents — for laughing off the nutter-perpetuated AD&D Satan Scare of the 80’s. Thanks for taking the time to play with your little girl. I miss you, and I love you.
twopeople007 –
just got this as a frimp and oh is is DELIGHT! like…. honeyed oatcakes, but something a little more. something Extra. like a secret ingredient your grandma refuses to reveal to anyone
Aft Islam –
got this as a free imp a while ago! i love how it smells, it is delightful – reminiscent of russian tea cakes. unfortunately. it gave me a migraine both times i tried it :'(
Jae –
Delightful!
Rory Williams –
This is my all time favorite cologne I’ve ever used. I bought it on a whim because I liked the description of it, and I’d describe it as a quite friendly smell. It honestly makes people hungry when I wear it because it just makes you smell like a walking pastry. If you’re debating on buying this, honestly just go for it, it’s amazing!
etarletons –
My most-used BPAL scent by far. Smells nutty, earthy, and sweet.
Megan –
I’m not sure why this scent has such a low review. I think it’s so much fun! It has the smell of a lively halfling tavern, with fresh bread wofting through the air. I love to wear this one whenever I am meeting up with my family, and I have a feeling I’ll be wearing it a lot when playing my new Pathfinder game, too!
jessecake –
At first Halfling smells like freshly cut fruit (nectarine, apricot, plum – somewhere in that field).
An hour later, that fruit now has a piece of cinnamon raisin toast next to it.
There is something in the background I can’t figure out – though I can see how people think of oatmeal or porridge with this.
It’s a fun scent, reminds me of the oils “Eat Me” and “Bread-and-Butterfly.”
I’m not sure if it’s a keeper for me personally but I can see why people might like it.
[email protected] –
I received this as a free imp in my last purchase. Since I am not a fan of food scents, it really was not a good choice for me. However, since a friend of mine wanted to try it, I gave it to her. Her chemistry changed the mixture into something that resembled a lightly spiced white musk blend. Pleasant, but not a standout. However, she liked it, so I am glad I gave her the imp.
otterling –
I added this to my cart as an imp on a whim and I’ll definitely be buying the larger bottle. There is a warmth to this scent that works its way straight into your heart the minute you smell it and if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine sitting in a small home in the Shire, warm sunlight coming through an open window onto your table laden with savory breakfast foods. It would fit equally as well in any cold weather setting and I can’t wait to wear it around. It shares some attributes with Miskatonic University in that it will make your mouth water and people’s heads turn when you wear it. The smell will definitely have people wanting to stand close to you.