Goblin backgrounds
Goblins you can hire each have a background which determines the skills they can access, and their initial statistics. Each background also provides a unique bonus.
Backgrounds list
Innkeeper, Lumberjack, Tailor, Smith, Cook, Cheesemonger, Carrier, Tanner, Sculptor, Squire, King, Writer, Banker, Undertaker, Astrocartographer, Joker, Trapper, Engineer, Alchemist, Butchurgeon, Dentist, Prophet, Judge, Welder, Guard, Executioner, Knifegrinder, Jailor, Archer, Spearman, Thug, Poacher, Miner, Beggar, Witch, Minstrel, Herald, ArcaneNovice
Skills and levelling
Each background has a list of 8 or 9 learnable skills. When a gob levels up, at each ad levels he can pick a new skill form a random subset of the skill lists of his background. Skills appearing at the start of the list have also more chance to be proposed. See also this post on reddit for more details about the skills.
Backgrounds details
Innkeeper
innkeeper Bonus: Can give a round of drinks once per fight, giving time units to nearby allies. Requires a beverage.
Skills:
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Trollish
- MeatMagic
- Alchemy
- Engineering
- Gun
- Athletics
- LightArmor
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Health, Max Essence, Range Score
Lumberjack
lumberjack Bonus: Bonus to hit when wielding a axe.
Skills:
- Axe
- Athletics
- Dodge
- LightArmor
- Shield
- Sprint
- Alchimechanics
- Prophecy
- Sadism
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Max Health, Melee Defense
Tailor
tailor Bonus: Bonus to Dodge skill.
Skills:
- LightArmor
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Bow
- Dodge
- Alchemy
- Sprint
- CriticalStrike
- TeethMagic
- Dagger
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Smith
smith Bonus: Bonus to hit when wielding a club.
Skills:
- Club
- HeavyArmor
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Shield
- Athletics
- Alchimechanics
- Engineering
- Alchemy
- Trap
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Health
Cook
cook Bonus: Bonus to Meat magic skill.
Skills:
- MeatMagic
- Alchemy
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Club
- Prophecy
- ExoticWeapon
- Sadism
- LightArmor
- Sprint
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Melee Score, Max Health
Cheesemonger
cheesemonger Bonus: Can Invoke a friendly cheese once per fight. Also get a bonus to hit when wielding a sword.
Skills:
- Sword
- Shield
- LightArmor
- TradeOfAllJacks
- CriticalStrike
- Sprint
- Athletics
- Dodge
- Trollish
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Carrier
carrier Bonus: Increases MaxEncumbrance.
Skills:
- Sprint
- Athletics
- Axe
- LightArmor
- HeavyArmor
- Dodge
- Shield
- Alchemy
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Max Health, Melee Score
Tanner
tanner Bonus: Attacks inflict bleeding effect.
Skills:
- LightArmor
- Dagger
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Alchemy
- Sadism
- MeatMagic
- Shield
- Trap
- Dodge
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Sculptor
sculptor Bonus: Bonus to Club skill.
Skills:
- Club
- Athletics
- LightArmor
- Trap
- Shield
- Dodge
- Prophecy
- Sprint
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Max Essence, Melee Defense
Squire
squire Bonus: Can access the ‘help’ perk, which gives time units to another Gob
Skills:
- Shield
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Spear
- Sprint
- LightArmor
- Athletics
- Trollish
- Sword
- HeavyArmor
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Encumbrance
King
king Bonus: King of the RockyMountain. Get a large bonus when fighting on RockyMountain
Skills:
- Dodge
- Sword
- Sadism
- CriticalStrike
- HeavyArmor
- Trollish
- Alchimechanics
- Athletics
- Sprint
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Writer
writer Bonus: Get a defense bonus when wearing a book or a scroll.
Skills:
- Dodge
- Dagger
- Prophecy
- Trollish
- Alchimechanics
- HeavyArmor
- CriticalStrike
- DeathMagic
- Sprint
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Melee Score, Melee Defense
Banker
banker Bonus: Once per fight, pay 10% of your teeth to cast a powerfull lighting blast.
Skills:
- TradeOfAllJacks
- TeethMagic
- Gun
- ExoticWeapon
- Prophecy
- Sadism
- CriticalStrike
- Trap
- HeavyArmor
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Range Score, Max Health
Undertaker
undertaker Bonus: Bonus to Death magic skill.
Skills:
- DeathMagic
- Prophecy
- Spear
- LightArmor
- Athletics
- Sprint
- Trap
- CriticalStrike
- Dodge
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Melee Score, Melee Defense
Astrocartographer
astrocartographer Bonus: Give access to the reveal order once per fight
Skills:
- Gun
- Prophecy
- LightArmor
- Sprint
- Dodge
- Athletics
- CriticalStrike
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Max Essence, Range Defense
Joker
joker Bonus: Random bonus at the start of each fight
Skills:
- Trollish
- Dodge
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Sadism
- Trap
- Sprint
- Alchimechanics
- LightArmor
- CriticalStrike
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Trapper
trapper Bonus: Bonus to Traps skill.
Skills:
- Trap
- Sprint
- Prophecy
- Axe
- Dodge
- Athletics
- LightArmor
- Shield
- MeatMagic
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Melee Score, Melee Defense
Engineer
engineer Bonus: Bonus to Engineering skill.
Skills:
- Engineering
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Alchimechanics
- Trap
- Alchemy
- CriticalStrike
- Spear
- LightArmor
- Sprint
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Range Score, Damages Multiplier
Alchemist
alchemist Bonus: Can feed potions from his inventory to neigboring Gobs
Skills:
- Alchemy
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Athletics
- HeavyArmor
- Gun
- Trap
- Alchimechanics
- Shield
- ExoticWeapon
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Health, Range Score, Melee Defense
Butchurgeon
butchurgeon Bonus: Turn killed enemies into meat cubes. (up to 3 trigger per fight)
Skills:
- MeatMagic
- Axe
- Athletics
- Prophecy
- HeavyArmor
- Shield
- CriticalStrike
- Sadism
- DeathMagic
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Health
Dentist
dentist Bonus: Collect teeth for each killed enemy.
Skills:
- TeethMagic
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Club
- Prophecy
- Alchemy
- Alchimechanics
- Dodge
- MeatMagic
- Engineering
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Melee Score, Damages Multiplier
Prophet
prophet Bonus: Each dodged attack recover one essence point.
Skills:
- Prophecy
- ExoticWeapon
- DeathMagic
- Bow
- TeethMagic
- Dodge
- MeatMagic
- LightArmor
- CriticalStrike
Most common levelup upgrades: Max Essence, Range Score, Max Health
Judge
judge Bonus: Counter attack on the first attack received each round
Skills:
- Athletics
- Club
- Trollish
- CriticalStrike
- LightArmor
- Alchimechanics
- Sadism
- Dodge
- Prophecy
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Health
Welder
welder Bonus: Once per fight, Mend the armor of a neigbouring gob. Requires an Ingot.
Skills:
- HeavyArmor
- Shield
- Gun
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Alchemy
- Athletics
- Trap
- Alchimechanics
- Sword
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Guard
guard Bonus: Bonus to Shield skill.
Skills:
- Shield
- Spear
- HeavyArmor
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Athletics
- Trollish
- LightArmor
- Engineering
- CriticalStrike
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Health
Executioner
executioner Bonus: Get time units back when dealing a killing blow.
Skills:
- CriticalStrike
- Axe
- Sadism
- LightArmor
- Athletics
- DeathMagic
- Prophecy
- Trollish
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Damages Multiplier, Melee Defense
Knifegrinder
knifegrinder Bonus: Bonus to damages when using a dagger, when the current encumbrance is less than half the maximum encumbrance.
Skills:
- Dagger
- CriticalStrike
- Dodge
- LightArmor
- Alchemy
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Sprint
- Prophecy
- DeathMagic
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Jailor
jailor Bonus: Bonus to Sadism skill.
Skills:
- Sadism
- Shield
- LightArmor
- Trollish
- Athletics
- Dodge
- Trap
- Sprint
- HeavyArmor
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Essence
Archer
archer Bonus: Reduced malus from obstacles when using a bow.
Skills:
- Bow
- Dodge
- Prophecy
- Sprint
- CriticalStrike
- LightArmor
- Trollish
- Athletics
- Alchimechanics
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Damages Multiplier, Max Essence
Spearman
spearman Bonus: Increased attack score with a spear on targets at distance 2.
Skills:
- Spear
- LightArmor
- Sprint
- Dodge
- CriticalStrike
- Alchimechanics
- Alchemy
- Athletics
- Prophecy
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Max Essence
Thug
thug Bonus: Increased damages with two handed weapons.
Skills:
- Club
- Sprint
- LightArmor
- HeavyArmor
- Athletics
- CriticalStrike
- Trollish
- Sadism
- Alchemy
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Max Health, Melee Defense
Poacher
poacher Bonus: Collect meat from killed enemies.
Skills:
- Bow
- Trap
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Sprint
- Spear
- Dodge
- LightArmor
- Alchemy
- Athletics
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Max Essence, Range Defense
Miner
miner Bonus: Increased damages to armor when using a club or a hammer
Skills:
- Club
- Athletics
- Alchemy
- Shield
- Dodge
- HeavyArmor
- Sprint
- Trap
- Prophecy
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Health
Beggar
beggar Bonus: Once per day, this gob can escape death; and it receives a bonus to hit when it is your sole follower
Skills:
- Dodge
- Dagger
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Prophecy
- LightArmor
- Shield
- Sprint
- TeethMagic
- Trap
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Melee Score, Max Health
Witch
witch Bonus: Bonus to Exotic Weapon skill.
Skills:
- Prophecy
- Dagger
- TeethMagic
- TradeOfAllJacks
- DeathMagic
- ExoticWeapon
- Alchemy
- Dodge
- CriticalStrike
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Max Essence, Melee Defense
Minstrel
minstrel Bonus: Bonus to Trade Of All Jacks skill.
Skills:
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Bow
- Dodge
- Trollish
- LightArmor
- Sword
- Sprint
- TeethMagic
- Prophecy
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Defense, Range Score, Max Essence
Herald
herald Bonus: Give the rallycry perk, improving the moral of demoralised allies at range 4
Skills:
- Trollish
- Prophecy
- Sprint
- Sword
- LightArmor
- Athletics
- Alchimechanics
- CriticalStrike
- Shield
Most common levelup upgrades: Melee Score, Melee Defense, Willpower
ArcaneNovice
arcanenovice Bonus: Bonus to damages when using a staff or a wand, and wearing a mage robe.
Skills:
- ExoticWeapon
- LightArmor
- Sprint
- TradeOfAllJacks
- Alchemy
- Prophecy
- TeethMagic
- DeathMagic
- MeatMagic
Most common levelup upgrades: Range Score, Max Essence, Range Defense