D&D Character Creation: Building Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries)
"There are hundreds, if not thousands of flowers in the world. Comparing a peony to a bellflower is pointless. Who has the right to judge which is more beautiful?"
If you've watched (my comfort anime) The Apothecary Diaries, you already know Maomao's (Xiaomao's) whole deal: brilliant apothecary who solves random medical mysteries in the imperial court, builds up poison immunity like it's a hobby, and has exactly zero interest in romance (well, maybe a little interest).
Here's how I would bring my favorite lil' court poison taste-tester/apothecary to the D&D table.
*THB NOTE: My D&D character creations are meant to be stepping stones for your next character, so please don't feel like you have to use this as bible! If you want your Maomao to be an Alchemist Artificer, Trickery Domain Cleric, or any other class, change her up! This is your character, after all :)
Jotting down the facts
Expert in poisons, medicines, and plants
Builds up immunity by testing poisons on herself
Suuuuuuper observant and investigative
Resourceful and cunning, uses knowledge as her weapon
Now that I have my building blocks, let's build my sweet, sweet Maomao into a D&D 5e character!
Class: Rogue
Subclass: Thief (5e Core Rules)
Why Rogue?
Expertise doubles your proficiency bonus on skills like Investigation and Insight, which makes it easier for Maomao to crack every case before anyone else in the room
Sneak attack rewards using your brain (and your positioning) over brute force
Cunning action lets you dash, disengage, or hide as a bonus action, because Maomao is always slipping in and out of places she’s not supposed to be
Thief fits Maomao better than you'd think: she's sneaking, snooping, and getting her hands on things (and information) she's not supposed to have.
Fast Hands: great for a gal who is constantly lifting samples and swiping evidence
Second-Story Work: climbing no longer costs extra movement, and your jump distance gets a boost; useful for climbing into (and out of) places she isn't cleared for ...
Supreme Sneak (9th level): advantage on stealth checks as long as you move no more than half your speed; perfect for creeping around the palace at night
Ability Scores
Prioritize these stats:
Dexterity (First) : stealth, finesse, staying quick on her feet while dodging court nonsense
Intelligence (Second) : years of herbalism and poison study, plus it fuels Investigation checks, baybeeee
Wisdom (Third) : Perception and Insight; she notices everything
Constitution (Decent) : she’s built up a tolerance to a lot of poisons
Charisma (Low-ish) : she’s … allergic to pleasantries and small talk
Strength (Dump stat) : hey, she's not out here swinging a greatsword, but she has been known to throw some hands from time to time
Point buy suggestion: DEX 15, INT 13, WIS 13, CON 12, CHA 11, STR 10
Species: Human
Your ability scores each increase by 1
Skills: Proficiency in one skill (Investigation)
One Origin feat: Alert (never surprised + bonus to initiative)
Ask your DM for approval to add "immunity to poisons" or "former court poison taste-tester" to your character sheet.
Skills
Rogues choose four from: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
These are the skills I would pick:
Investigation for solving palace mysteries (since it's basically her side job)
Insight to read people (even when she’d rather not deal with them)
Perception to catch details nobody else notices
Stealth for moving through the palace unseen and unbothered
At 1st level, rogues get expertise in two of these; put it in Investigation and Insight (or Perception).
Background: Investigator
Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from a list of skills (I'd pick Intimidation and Persuasion)
Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner's Kit
Feature: Official inquiry
You know how to get access to people and places tied to whatever you're investigating, and local officials either respect you or find you mildly exhausting. Either way, they don't get in your way.
Equipment
Rapier or shortsword (something quick, not flashy)
Shortbow with quiver for when melee isn’t the smart play
Burglar’s pack
Basic poison if your DM allows starting consumables; ask first, poison rules vary
Personality & Roleplay
Personality Traits:
Answers questions about poison (or some medicines and foods) with way more enthusiasm than anything else
Has zero patience for flattery or court games; blunt and direct
Will absolutely test something dangerous on herself before telling anyone she’s doing it
Ideal : Understanding how something works (and how to survive it) matters more than comfort or approval.
Bond : The people who taught her matter more than she’ll admit out loud.
Flaw : Sometimes under-values her own safety in the name of research. If it can be tested, she’ll test it on herself first.
Character Arc
Start Maomao as someone who wants to stay uninvolved; she didn’t ask to be dragged into palace politics, she just wants to do her job and dip out. Let her get pulled into random side quests against her will, again and again, until the people she was avoiding become people she’d actually go out of her way for.
Talk to your DM about:
Throwing in random mysteries and poisonings that Maomao genuinely can’t walk away from
Introducing NPCs who need her specific expertise (and won’t take no for an answer)
