This Pride month, we’re recognizing our two LGBTQIA+ members from Heroes of Barcadia: Maltilda the Stout Hearted and Tipple the Half Pint. And before you say we’re just “pulling a Dumbledore” on you, we’ve got the receipts (which we’ll share below). These are the original character bios from when I started this project in 2020. (Yes, mask off time. It’s me again, your Chief Wordsmith and Content Manager, Michael.)
So, let’s meet our rainbow heroes as they were originally written:
Maltilda the Stout Hearted: Dwarven Cleric (Character Color: Brown)
As the daughter of a barmaid, Maltilda grew up with a special knowledge of the healing powers of booze. By mixing alcohol and healing spells, she can power up her cleric magic and gain a considerable attack bonus (although sometimes her accuracy is a little impaired). She named her mace Bar Tab and has never paid for a drink in her life due to her intimidation tactics. Maltilda is also the undefeated Barcadia arm wrestling champion for five years running (she even met her wife Barbara at her first championship). Don’t try to take her title, or you might find yourself at the wrong end of her Bar Tab.
Tipple the Half Pint: Halfling Bard (Character Color: Pink)
Tipple might look like he’s a lightweight, but he’s a cheeky little rascal who has been known to drink orcs under the table (and they can drink). According to his songs, he hails from a small halfling community near Bourbonshire. Though his family members are talented vintners, Tipple always wanted to travel the world and taste all the wonderful drinks life had to offer. He uses his musical talents to encourage generous tips from overly intoxicated patrons and flirts with all the boys. You usually hear him before you see him.
Why It’s Important to Share Maltilda and Tipple’s Business
It might be your first time hearing that we have “friends” in Heroes of Barcadia, and that’s because a lot of the character backstories didn’t make it into the final game. That’s not an oversight either; these backstories were written for our internal team to build the lore of Heroes of Barcadia. We need to know this information to create other characters, places, and details that connect with our colorful cast. But when it comes time to print a game where other people are playing as these characters, it’s more about those players’ journeys. That’s why anyone can play as Intoxica the Necromixer, even if you don’t wear an elegant dress and drink blood. It's also like the cast of Clue. You know their names and a version of what they look like (because those character portraits change a lot), but how they act is up to your imagination. (And whether or not you've read the book series or seen the movie.)
Still, the Rollacrit team has talked internally about “outing” Maltilda and Tipple for a long time, and we wanted to share their expanded stories with you, our readers, because LGBTQIA+ representation is important. Here's why: from a personal perspective, and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am fortunate to work with a group of amazing people who support me. No one batted an eye when I submitted these character bios. And no one fought me on it. But unfortunately, not everyone has this experience. I’ve worked with colleagues at other companies who were "less than enthusiastic" about people like Maltilda, Tipple, and, well… me simply existing. And it’s not fun to have to hide or erase a part of yourself just to fit in.
All this to say, if you need some help fighting for yourself, consider Maltilda and Tipple your personal warriors. Just don’t overdo it with the liquid courage!
