Dugan Lifebrew

Player: Haf
Campaign: Under the Bus
Race: Unknown
Classes: Unknown; at least one level of Expert
Alignment: Unknown
Level: Unknown

Overview

Dugan Lifebrew was Haf's character in Under the Bus. Dugan was built around the concept of a brewer and deliberate non-combatant, with brewing and practical utility taking precedence over combat effectiveness.

Haf described the concept explicitly in a 2009 email:

"I'll still be avoiding usefulness in combat at all costs."

He was considering a Druid build at the time, but was also interested in the Expert class because its customizable class skills fit Dugan's concept. Haf's own later recollection confirms that Dugan ultimately took at least one level of Expert, although his complete class progression is unknown.

Dugan's lack of participation in combat was therefore not simply a limitation of the character. It was an intentional part of the character concept.

Character Concept

Dugan's primary interest was brewing. Haf wanted Dugan to have abilities and skills that supported brewing rather than conventional adventuring.

His proposed spell list included:

• Create Water
• Purify Food and Drink
• Detect Animals or Plants
• Longstrider
• Pass without Trace

Haf also intended to acquire a "booze hound" named Thomas Chamney, an obscure reference, and suggested modifying the hound's tracking abilities so that it could "seek" things related to brewing rather than simply tracking animals.

Whether Thomas Chamney was actually acquired during the campaign is currently unknown.

Class

Dugan's complete class progression has not been reconstructed.

Expert

Haf explicitly considered taking the Expert NPC class because its customizable list of class skills would allow him to select brewing alongside the skills he wanted for the character.

DM later confirmed that Dugan did take at least one level of Expert.

The total number of Expert levels is unknown.

Druid

Haf was considering a Druid route when he wrote his April 2009 character-development email. He specifically noted that the Druid would provide useful abilities and spell advancement, but that he did not want to create a powerful Druid and then deliberately refuse to use those abilities.

It is currently unknown whether Dugan ultimately took any Druid levels.

Other Classes

No complete class progression has yet been recovered.

Status: Unknown beyond at least one level of Expert.

Chosen

Dugan was a member of The Chosen during the campaign.

The player characters of Under the Bus were extraordinary individuals known as The Chosen. Their advancement included special abilities that placed them above ordinary people and sometimes reproduced abilities associated with prestige classes.

12th-Level Chosen Power

Ranged Legerdemain

Dugan's character notes list Ranged Legerdemain as his Chosen power at 12th level.

15th-Level Chosen Power

Unknown.

No surviving character record currently identifies Dugan's 15th-level Chosen power.

It is also not currently known whether Dugan reached the level at which the 15th-level power would have been gained.

Legacy Item

Ring of Profession (Brewing) +15

Dugan's legacy item was a Ring of Profession (Brewing) +15.

The ring strongly reinforces the central brewing concept of the character.

No additional properties of the ring are currently established.

Brewing

Brewing was Dugan's defining practical contribution to the party.

While in Toreon, Dugan worked with Bo Duke to brew and distill alcohol, which they subsequently sold to local taverns. Their brewing operation became an actual source of income for the party rather than merely a character joke.

Later, aboard the Sunchaser, Dugan practiced potion brewing and successfully produced Cure Light Wounds potions for members of the crew.

Dugan therefore contributed through crafting, brewing, and practical support rather than conventional combat.

Non-Combatant

Dugan was notably reluctant to participate in combat.

The campaign records explicitly describe him as "pacifist" when listing the party members available for the defense of the Tower of Plinth.

This is consistent with Haf's original character concept and with Dugan's behavior throughout the campaign.

His approach was not simply to stand idle, however. Dugan often attempted to contribute through:

• Brewing
• Crafting
• Diplomacy
• Communication
• Utility magic
• Supporting wounded characters
• Attempts to negotiate with potentially hostile creatures

Notable Examples

Brewing in Toreon

Dugan and Bo Duke spent time brewing and distilling alcohol while the rest of the party pursued other activities in Toreon. They sold the resulting drinks to local taverns and made money from the operation.

This is one of the clearest examples of Dugan turning his unusual character concept into an actual campaign activity.

Diplomacy with the Frost Giants

During an encounter with frost giants, Dugan attempted to talk to them rather than immediately fight, even as the situation was deteriorating.

This behavior was consistent with his established preference for avoiding combat.

Halfling Encounter

After the party encountered hostile halflings following the Red Dragon attack, Dugan used Diplomacy and his knowledge of the Halfling language to establish that the party did not intend them harm.

He also distributed his beer while the party's clerics treated the wounded.

This encounter illustrates Dugan's preferred method of contributing: social interaction, practical skills, and hospitality rather than violence.

Potion Brewing

While aboard the Sunchaser, Dugan practiced potion brewing and produced Cure Light Wounds potions for the crew.

This gave his brewing-oriented character an important practical role during the expedition.

Combat Statistics

One surviving combat record refers to the character as "Evil Dugan."

That record gives him:

• AC: 12

• HP: 89

The significance of the name "Evil Dugan" is unknown. There is currently no established explanation for whether this represented an alternate version of Dugan, a temporary condition, an encounter-specific designation, or simply a joke.

The 89 HP figure should not be treated as Dugan's final hit-point total. Other characters listed in the same combat record also have lower HP totals than their later known totals, suggesting that these numbers represent an earlier point in the campaign.

Relationships

• Haf — player.
• Bo Duke — brewing partner and fellow Chosen.
• Tim — involved with Dugan in the scholar-pay negotiations.
• Dew Gooder — fellow Chosen and healer.
• Smah Tepants — fellow Chosen.
• Tashiro Sunshine Eastforest — fellow Chosen.
• Malachi — fellow Chosen.
• Kamal — later party member and occasional companion.
• Clowe — worked with Dugan on the dragon-hoard lock.
• Sunchaser — ship aboard which Dugan brewed potions.
• Toreon — location of his brewing and commercial activities.

Equipment

Known

• Ring of Profession (Brewing) +15 — legacy item

• Other equipment: Unknown

Known Events

• Joined The Chosen
• Studied/trained alongside the other members of the party
• Traveled to Toreon
• Brewed and distilled alcohol with Bo Duke
• Participated in negotiations and social encounters
• Attempted diplomacy with hostile creatures
• Participated in the Sunchaser expeditions
• Practiced potion brewing aboard the ship
• Produced Cure Light Wounds potions for the crew
• Participated in the defense of the Tower of Plinth
• Was identified as a pacifist in party-defense planning

Open Questions

• What was Dugan's race?
• What was his alignment?
• What was his complete class progression?
• How many levels of Expert did he take?
• Did he ultimately take Druid levels?
• Did he have any other classes?
• What was his final character level?
• What was his 15th-level Chosen power?
• Did he actually acquire Thomas Chamney?
• What other abilities did his legacy ring possess, if any?
• What was the actual meaning of "Evil Dugan"?
• What were his final AC and HP?
• What was his complete feat and skill list?
• What happened to Dugan after the surviving campaign records?