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.
carolina.aryana –
In the bottle, this is almost antiseptic and very balsam-forward, reminding me of a hospital hallway. On my skin, it fades to more of a sweet metallic and the grease comes through, reminding me of the way hands smell after working on a car, getting grimy, and then washing up with the strong orange grease cutting soap.
invader_pip –
I don’t know boo about scent profiles or D&D, but I can say I am a fan of this perfume. There are possible metallic notes when first applied but they dissipate soon enough. What’s left is a kind of spicy, citrusy smell. It will definitely become a part of my rotation.
purveyorcolbyjack –
I got this as a free imp, it does open insanely cheerful and bright with a citrus-y, lemon-lime sprite odor. Upon drying, the citrus mellows out a bit and I can smell the grease, a very clean almost petroleum smell, with a hint of sweet spice underneath. After about an hour the citrus faded to an almost metallic smell on top of the grease, but if I put my nose close I could still smell it. Still a very bright scent, I’m not unhappy with the grease and metal at all. After three hours, the perfume had morphed into a beautifully sweet smoke with an undercurrent of the grease, an almost incense and peppery smell.
I didn’t think I would like this perfume as much as I did, and it really perked up my day.
Geoff –
I’ve played Gnomes my entire gaming life – whether D&D or WoW. While my mother was very sick, I wore this scent to help keep myself positive. After she died – it became inexorably tied to her and my love of Gnomes. It’s a fantastic scent – it is clean and playful smelling aroma and does indeed remind me a little of Sprite Soda.
If you are looking for something light, clean, playful, whimsical and fun then this is the right scent for you. It’s superb.
I highly recommend it and doing business with BPA – they are a caring and compassionate business who understands how scent and memory have deep impact on our lives.
persephonelily –
It smells like club soda on me. I can kind of imagine the gear oil, but no metal notes at all. It doesn’t last very long on.
aphrodite –
this smells like a Creamsicle Dum Dum lollipop. i don’t know if i would reach for it, but it’s delicious and delightful.
Nicole –
Very potently citrusy and sweet when first applied. Once it mellows, the complexities come out, the hints of smoke and metal anchoring all those sweeter, brighter notes. Definite hints of spice, which play nice amid the smoke and sweetness. Sometimes, though, I catch a big whiff of soap that doesn’t really fit.
It’s fun and complex and well-balanced, but it’s not something I’ll likely wear often.
lowrey_a –
I am not sure what to think of this aroma. I don’t hate it but I don’t know if I like it. I certainly can detect the smoke note and gear lubricant. It sort of reminds me of a sweet smelling soap being used in a dirty gear shop. If the aim of this scent was for an authentic tinkering gnome scent, then I would have to say they hit their mark. I imagine this might smell perfect on someone with darker skin, I am very fair skinned so the soapy note is dominant on me. Okay as a one time trial but probably won’t be repeating.
Renee –
Oh my geesh. I got this as a sample a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been stewing on why it smells so familiar. It’s definitely got a bright, bubbly smell to it, then it finally hit me. Gnome smells like Sprite. As in the soda pop.
Let that sink in. Gnome …. smells like SPRITE.
An hour later I’m still laughing over this. I just might nab the full size over that play on words alone. Well played, bpal. ;D
Bimini –
Quirky and unique!
I faced a free imp of “Gnome” with trepidation. Upon application, there’s a bubbly burst of sarsaparilla and a pop of peppercorn. What fun!
At first, the smoke is intense and a bit metallic, so I can see how many would not like this. Yet, as someone who enjoys historical reenactments, I am reminded of a blacksmith’s forge; that nostalgia makes me happy.
Once dry, the balsam and ginger come through as a smoldering, spicy incense. With wear, the smoke settles but doesn’t dissipate.
This scent does lean strongly toward the masculine, but as a woman, I also enjoyed it. A friend liked how it smelled on me, as well. However, I don’t see myself wearing it often, so I won’t be getting a big bottle, but I will keep an imp on hand for pioneering days.
Catherine –
This is delicious! It’s heavy and rich and balsam-forward. It’s not a “perfumey” scent by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s subtle and deep and wonderful! I’m addicted!