Character Background

Curriculum Herois Vitae

In Dungeons & Dragons, a character's background—which represents a combination of profession, social standing, and community relationships—determines subtle boons and banes within their narrative roleplaying. These are not the fighting or adventuring mechanics of a class (which will come later). Rather, they will give you clues as to what signs you can read in which people and which climes, and how well they can read you. Your background is your people, your passions, your proficiencies, and your principles.
Below you will find a list of the backgrounds characters in our game might have acquired by the time they become adventurers. If you are creating your character as part of the procedural process in column 3 of the player's guide above, then your background will be the result of your particular creation path. Several of the backgrounds are homebrewed, customized for this campaign setting. You will find fuller descriptions of them here. For the rest, please consult the appropriate source book.

Backgrounds and Sources

Homebrew and *Expanded (found below)

1. Bumpkin
2. Prince/Princess
3. *Knight

Player's Handbook

1. Acolyte
2. Charlatan
3. Criminal/Spy
4. Entertainer
5. Folk Hero
6. Gladiator
7. Guild Artisan
8. Hermit
9. Noble, p. 135
10. Outlander
11. Pirate
12. Sage
13. Sailor
14. Soldier

Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

1. City Watch/Investigator
2. Clan Crafter
3. Courtier
4. Faction Agent
5. Far Traveler
6. Inheritor
7. Knight of the Order
8. Mercenary Veteran
9. Urban Bounty Hunter
10. (Uthgardt) Tribe Member
11. (Waterdhavian) Noble

Bumpkin

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Languages: Common
Equipment: A set of common clothes; One (1) Chewin' Stick; One (1) Whittlin' Stick; One (1) Walkin' Stick
Bumpkins are enigmas. Though they often appear as sallow-faced dopes, only little more intelligent than the countryside's other fauna, there is a keenly honed intelligence behind some of their sun-squinted eyes. After all, if they appeared as intelligent as they really were, they might be seen as a threat to local lords or burghers.
Personality Traits
Ideals
Bonds
Flaws
Feature: Hidden in Plain Sight
Your social betters have a habit of underestimating you, seeing in you only what their preconceived notions of your simplicity would have them see. Insight checks against you by nobles or gentry have disadvantage.

Prince/Princess

Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Intimidation
Languages: Common and Domitian
Equipment: A set of noble clothes; a ring with your house seal; a gold crown
A prince or princess is the child of royalty, preparing to assume the mantle of rule passed down by their parents. Though sheltered from much of the hardship of the wider world, they are schooled in war, diplomacy, courtly manners, and other refined occupations of state.
d8 Personality Traits

1. I am aloof to a fault. No one can get close. It's better that way anyway.
2. I am woefully out of touch with the concerns of even the well-paid attendants of my own father's castle. The ways of commoners are a complete mystery to me.
3. I am anxious to prove myself to anyone who might doubt my aptitude. This crown? If I hadn't been born with it, I'd have won it anyway.
4. I wish everyone could know the leisure I do, then I'd have someone with whom to share all this enthusiasm for living!
5. I am serious as a heart attack. It's not that I didn't get the joke, but that I think this is not an occasion for joking.
6. I am daddy's special boy or mommy's special girl. And if you forget that, you won't like it one bit!
7. The weight of my inherited responsibilities looms like a shadow over my coming days. No one knows the burden I will bear.
8. My parents and all of their advisors are blind old fools. When I rightfully rule, I will show you what a true leviathan is.

d6 Ideals

1. Prosperous Reign I desire peace and plenty for those I rule. (Good)
2. Legacy My name will survive me. It must be sterling. (Any)
3. Power Strength and the will to wield it are their own reward. (Neutral or Evil)
4. Pleasure It's good to be the the king. If you're not the king, well, too bad for you. (Neutral or Evil)
5. Tradition Preservation of our ways and customs is an end in itself. (Lawful)
6. Conquest If it's out there for the taking, I will take it. (Evil)

Bonds
Flaws
Feature: Retainers -and- Position of Privilege
See: Noble, PHB, p. 135
Feature: Open Doors
"Open in the name of the King! ...who is my father, by the way." Persuasion and Intimidation checks against anyone with Charisma and Wisdom scores less than 14 become DC=5 WIS (Insight) checks for them instead. Upon a success, your persuasion succeeds. The position or request being persuaded or intimidated into your target in this way cannot gratuitously harm the target or carry such extreme risk that the target would consider agreeing to it to be worse than punishment in a royal dungeon. If the target is anyone working against the will of your royal parents, a successful check means your persuasion will automatically fail.