Backgrounds

## Background Information

**Stat Gain:**Backgrounds usually provide a boost to one, or occasionally two, ability scores pertaining to their story.

**Skill and Tool Proficiencies:**Backgrounds give one or two skill and/or tool proficiencies. If you're already proficient in a given proficiency, you can pick a different one as a replacement. "Double proficiency" does not grant Expertise.

**Equipment:**Backgrounds provide gear. You gain this gear regardless of whether you choose to roll for Silver or take your class' starting equipment.

**Feature:**Depending on the story behind them, backgrounds give you abilities, usually in the form of contacts.

**Creating your own Background:**In exchange for flexibility, custom backgrounds generally provide less benefit than the backgrounds listed below.

* Come up with the story behind your background.
* Choose one ability score to gain +1 to.
* Choose up to two skill or tool proficiencies and up to two languages.
* Choose equipment and/or loose Silver equal to ¢60~ or less.
* Come up with a fitting feature, using those provided below as a basis for how effective they tend to be.
* Speak to your DM on whether or not the background works.

## Homeland Features

With how unique and varied the regions of Almari are, both culturally and otherwise, you might have some form of minor benefit granted to your character as determined by the DM. This feature will typically be determined off of not only where you were born, but your background and backstory as well. You wouldn't have the knowledge of many races that a typical Alderuune native would have if you were born there, but immediately left. This benefit might not be immediately known to you.

Note that this feature will never be anything better than the equivalent of +1 to a skill.

# Backgrounds

## Faction Agent

Many organizations active in the East of Vuskan aren't bound by strictures of geography. These factions pursue their agendas without regard for political boundaries, and their members operate anywhere their branch of their aligned organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for use by the faction's operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don't merely fulfill a small function for that organization, but who serve as its hands, head, and heart. As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as an agent of a particular faction in Almari. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn't necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction.

Note that these factions **are not** specific regional factions, and are more so globally recognized collectives of folk with certain similar ideologies. Family houses, groups of heroes, religious sects, and even countries are founded on the principles reflected by specific factions, but they do not have hierarchies or leaders.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 to one of your choice
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction
* **Languages:** Two of your choice
* **Equipment:** Badge or emblem of your faction, a copy of a seminal faction text (or a code-book for a covert faction), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing ¢30
* **Safe Haven**: As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

**Old Veins:** Though many of the deeper machinations of the group aren't even known by members with seniority, the entirety of the Old Veins, as a group, is bound together by a shared set of ideals. These ideals tend to revolve around the idea that no individual or group should have too much power, that every individual should have their own degree of sovereign power, and that some information is best keep secret if it keeps power-hungry eyes blind. A good deal of what they do, on the surface at least, consists of hunting and securing (or destroying) arcane and divine relics that could be used for bad stuff, hunting and killing creatures of the night and hunters of mortal beings, and careful manipulation of tyrannical political regimes. Many families base their ties around the Old Veins, some training their children from birth to be effective monster hunters and relic keepers. [Alignment: neutral/chaotic good, usually]

**Alvaeon Lumes**: Translating to "Keepers of Light" in Yjannic, they are a relatively new group of folk with similar intents to the Old Veins, but usually with different methods. They are rarely not out in the open, and consists of those that fervently believe in the upholding of justice and fighting for what is righteous. They believe that battling evil is the highest form of virtue, and that faith in your self, allies, and chosen deities with matching tenets is the road to victory. The faction of your archetypal valiant knight. [Alignment: good]

**Stalwart Coalition**: A group of militant established powers, seeking to protect mutual security and prosperity. They're keen to strike down perceived threats before they get a chance to hurt civilization. Besides thinking that the best defense is a strong offense, they are united under the tenet that "if we are to protect greater civilization, all must join together to overcome those that seek to destroy it". Regardless of their background, those in the Stalwart Coalition are expected to be able to quickly reference and memorize every political stance of important nations, along with vast knowledge of history, in order to aptly negotiate between powers. [Alignment: lawful]

**The Free Hand**: Dark network of folks that are kind of the antithesis of the Old Veins; they quietly influence folks and hoard wealth/relics to gain personal power. They're symbolized by ambition and meritocracy, but are usually driven by material obsession and greed. They seek to amass wealth, seize power, gain influence, and control all they can. They tend to draw folks in with the tenet of "you're your own person, you decide your fate, pursue your best life", which is followed by "we are your second family (though you should see us as your first)" and "anything and everything can be bought". Though not all members could be considered evil, those that are "good" are usually operating under the idea that they could control people in better ways than others can. [Alignment: heavy focus towards non-good]

**Enclave of Ancients**: Maintaining balance in the natural order and quelling the downsides of unhindered progress is the twofold goal of the Enclave of Ancients. Those who serve the faction are masters of survival and living off the land. Though most barbarian tribes, clerics of nature, druids, and other nature or tradition-minded folk will usually be found under the banner of the Enclave of Ancients, those that seek to preserve tradition are also found with them. This typically includes traditional Ruri, Dwarves, Khyberi, Goliaths, and any other groups of folk that believe that the pervasiveness of these other factions and large-scale political powers isn't the path to a good life for all. [Alignment: usually non-chaotic but pretty open]

## Anthropologist

You are someone who has devoted a large chunk of their life to studying foreign cultures and peoples.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Intelligence or Wisdom
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Insight; Religion or History
* **Languages:** Two of your choice
* **Equipment:** A leather-bound diary, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a set of traveler's clothes, one trinket of special significance, and a pouch containing ¢20
* **Adept Linguist:** You can communicate with humanoids who don't speak any language you know so long as you observe them interacting with each other for at least one day.

## Acolyte (Academic)

You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific deity. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Wisdom (+1 Intelligence)
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Religion (Insight, Arcana)
* **Languages:** Two divine languages (Two arcane languages)
* **Equipment:** A holy symbol, a prayer book or wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢30 (A tome of lore, pen, quill, ink, insignia of your institution, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢30)
* **Shelter of the Faithful:** As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. (Academic is the same, just with academic or arcane institutions instead of affiliated religious organizations.)

## Caravan Specialist

You are used to life on the road. You pride yourself at having traveled every major trade way in your home region, including the best backroads and shortcuts. When traveling on known roads, you know where the best inns, campsites, and water sources are located, as well as potential locations of danger. Having worked the roads as long as you have, you have made many acquaintances and find it easy to pick up information and rumors floating from town to town. You are skilled with beasts of burden and handling and repairing wagons of all kinds.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength or Wisdom
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Animal Handling, Survival
* **Tool Proficiencies:** Land Vehicles, one musical instrument
* **Equipment:** A whip, a tent, a regional map, a set of traveling clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢20
* **Wagonmaster:** You are able to identify the most defensible locations for camping. You have an excellent memory for maps and geography and can always determine your cardinal directions while traveling.

## Charlatan

You have always had a way with people. You know what makes them tick, you can tease out their heart’s desires after a few minutes of conversation, and with a few leading questions you can read them like they were children's books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that sound too good to be true, but common sense seems to be in short supply when you’re around. The bottle of pink coloured liquid will surely cure that unseemly rash, this ointment—nothing more than a bit of fat with a sprinkle of silver dust—can restore youth and vigor, and there’s a bridge in the city that just happens to be for sale. These marvels sound implausible, but you make them sound like the real deal.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Charisma
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Deception, Sleight of Hand
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit
* **Equipment**: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing ¢30
* **False Identity:** You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.

## City/Town Guard

You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren't a soldier; instead, your service to your hometown was to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe. You might have been part of the City Watch of Alderuune or a similar city, protecting the common folk from thieves and rowdy nobility alike. Or, you might have been one of the valiant defenders of a smaller town such as Sini Othrond, which tends to bring more combat experience through defense against ever-present hostile entities.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength or Dexterity
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Athletics, Insight
* **Languages:** Two of your choice
* **Equipment**: A uniform in the style of your unit and indicative of your rank, a horn with which to summon help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing ¢20
* **Watcher's Eye:** Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you're more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.
* **(alt)** **Investigator:** Rarer than watch or patrol members are a community's investigators, who are responsible for solving crimes after the fact. Though such folk are seldom found in rural areas, nearly every settlement of decent size has at least one or two watch members who have the skill to investigate crime scenes and track down criminals. If your prior experience is as an investigator, you have proficiency in Investigation rather than Athletics.

## Vuskan/Mauresna Double Agent

You are an informant for the East Vuskali Forward Guard, but are actually a double agent with allegiance to the Mauresnia Border Scouts. For the Forward Guard, you’ve been tasked with ferreting out the secrets of Mauresnan criminal underworlds, insurgencies, and the common peoples of towns and villages in ex-Vuskali territory. In exchange for reporting on the activities of dissenters, criminals, and other rebel elements, the Forward Guard leave you alone to conduct your affairs in peace. In reality, you work for the Border Scouts, sharing misinformation with the Forward Guard that often helps the Mauresnan people keep their controlled territory and fend off constant Vuskali attacks.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Dexterity or Intelligence
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Deception, Insight
* **Tool Proficiencies:** Disguise Kit, and one type of artisan’s tools or gaming set
* **Equipment:** Disguise kit, common clothes, a Vuskali Forward Guard emblem, a writ of free agency signed by a Vuskali higher-up, a set of artisan’s tools or gaming set you are proficient with, and a pouch with ¢30
* **Double Agent:** You have a reliable and trusty contact within the Forward Guard to whom you pass information and secrets. In exchange, you can get away with minor criminal offenses in nearby Vuskali territories. In addition, your Mauresnan contacts can help you secure an audience with affiliated higher-ups.

## Dwarven Craftmaster

Traditional Dwarven folk are well known for their artisanal prowess and the worth of their handiwork, and you have been trained in that ancient tradition. For years you labored under a Dwarven master of the craft, enduring long hours, and dismissive, sour-tempered treatment in order to gain the fine skills you possess today. Most Dwarves found in traditional homogenous Dwarven societies are expected to carry on their familiar craft; however, if you aren't a Dwarf, you have taken a solemn oath never to take on an apprentice in the craft: it is not for non-Dwarves to pass on these time-honored talents. You would have no difficulty, however, finding a Dwarf master who was willing to receive potential apprentices who came with your recommendation.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Intelligence
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Expertise in smith's, carpenter's, or mason's tools
* **Languages**: Gillean
* **Equipment**: A set of artisan's tools with which you are proficient, a maker's mark chisel used to mark your handiwork with the symbol of the clan of crafters you learned your skill from, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing ¢10 and a gem worth ¢20
* **Dwarven Respect:** As well respected as clan crafters are among outsiders, no one esteems them quite so highly as Dwarves do. You always have free room and board in any place where traditional Dwarves dwell, and the individuals in such a settlement might vie among themselves to determine who can offer you (and possibly your compatriots, with a bit of persuasion) the finest accommodations and assistance.

## Siniath Barre Outcast

*Requirements: Fey-blooded Elf or Fey-blooded Half-Elf*

You are one of thousands of refugees that decided to refrain from joining the rest of the Fey-blooded Elves that took up post-Reconciliation residence on the ancient Elven landmass of Siniath Barre, instead opting to travel with your Elven compatriots to Barre, gather supplies, and return to Vuskan in hopes of re-settling. Mass-scale distrust of Elves has put a stick in your family/clan's plan on a peaceful return to your Vuskali ancestor's lifestyle, resulting in a slight loss of direction, alienation from the common masses, and an inclination to travel in pursuit of opportunity.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Charisma and Wisdom
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Nature, Survival
* **Tool Proficiencies:** One type of artisan's tools
* **Languages:** Any one language of your choice, typically of the region you went to
* **Equipment:** A two-person tent, artisan's tools, a holy symbol of Sylvethris, a set of traveler's clothes, a belt pouch, ¢10
* **Shelter of the Elven Kin:** Those that go against the common negative conception of Fey-blooded Elves, including Proniscan Elves, will be more inclined to help you find food and shelter.

## Dungeon Delver

You have devoted vast amounts of time, energy, and lively risk to pursue your passion of artifact hunting and dungeon delving. Though you are still a fledgling, you have uncovered a couple locations in your time thus far, and have got out alive to tell the tales (with loot in tow).

* **Stat Gain:** +1 to Intelligence or Wisdom
* **Skill Proficiencies:** History, Perception
* **Tool Proficiencies:** Cartographer's tools or Navigator's tools
* **Equipment:** A wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner's pick, a set of traveler's clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a common magic item recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing ¢50
* **Historical Knowledge:** When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly ascertain its original purpose and determine its builders. In addition, you can determine the monetary value of art objects more than a century old.

## Courtier

In your earlier days, you were a personage of some significance in a noble court or a bureaucratic organization. You might or might not come from an upper-class family; your talents, rather than the circumstances of your birth, could have secured you this position. You might have been one of the many functionaries, attendants, and other hangers-on in the Collective Court of Lethelin, or perhaps you traveled in Alderuune's baroque and sometimes cutthroat conglomeration of guilds, nobles, adventurers, and secret societies. You might have been one of the behind-the-scenes law-keepers or functionaries in East Vuskan, or you might have grown up on and around the Vuskan-Emin border. Even if you are no longer a full-fledged member of the group that gave you your start in life, your relationships with your former fellows can be an advantage for you and your adventuring comrades. You might undertake missions with your new companions that further the interest of the organization that gave you your start in life. In any event, the abilities that you honed while serving as a courtier will stand you in good stead as an adventurer.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Intelligence
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Insight, Persuasion
* **Languages:** Two of your choice
* **Equipment:** A set of fine clothes and a pouch containing ¢10
* **Court Functionary:** Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and what the current intrigues of interest in the group are.

## Criminal

You are an experienced lesser criminal with a history of breaking the law, and have spent a good chunk of your life living off of blackmail, burglary, enforcement, fencing, highwaymanship, pickpocketing, smuggling, or paid killing. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You’re far closer than most people to the world of theft and aggression that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.

*Variant, Spy: Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very different context: as an espionage agent. You might have been an officially sanctioned agent of the crown, or perhaps you sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.*

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Deception, Stealth
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set, thieves’ tools
* **Equipment**: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a belt pouch containing ¢30
* **Criminal Contact:** You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals. You know how to get messages to and from your contact, even over great distances; specifically, you know the local messengers, corrupt caravan masters, and seedy sailors who can deliver messages for you.

## War Casualty

Regardless of your stance on the subject, many innocent people are subjected to the whims of vile perpetrators due to the Lethelin-Mauresna Territory War. You are a Mauresnan individual that was living in a city or town subjected to an occupation by the Lethelin military, resulting in years of living in a brutal police-state and accumulated weeks of magic and mundane information-extracting torture prior to escape. Alternatively, you are a citizen of the group-nation of Lethelin, who was a casualty in an early morning raid by the Mauresnan Border Scouts. You, and whatever friends and family escaped alive, were forced to live in squalor in the nearest city, regardless of the quality of your previous lives.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength or Constitution
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Perception, Survival
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set and one tool of your previous profession
* **Equipment:** A dagger, tattered rags, a loaf of moldy bread, a small token from home, and a pouch with ¢10 of various coins (salvaged during your escape).
* **Strength In Numbers:** Though you all fled in different directions, you maintain contact with three contacts in separate towns or cities. These contacts will do their best to shelter you (and your compatriots) at a poor-modest level of living.

## Dragon Victim

Chromatic dragons, along with their cults, are known to terrorize entire towns and villages, often leading to their overarching kingdoms and nations to disavow them out of fear. You are an escaped civilian in one of these said towns. During your time in this location, your servitude was required, but that didn't stop you from sneakily moving supplies to your friends, family, and self.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength or Dexterity
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Stealth, Persuasion
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Any one of your choice
* **Languages:** Vecta
* **Equipment:** A stiletto, common clothes, portrait of a deceased love one, and a pouch with the coinage you managed to keep to yourself (¢25)
* **Victim's Respite:** Those in the lower-middle classes of cities, especially inn owners, are likely to provide you with basic shelter and food in exchange for tales of your life under, and escape from, the rule of a dragon. Your semi-arcane wounds tend to grab the attention of those around you, however.

## Entertainer

You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humour cuts to the quick. Your art is your life, be it acting, dancing, fire-eating, jesting, juggling, musically performing, poetry, singing, storytelling, or tumbling.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Strength, Dexterity, or Charisma
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Acrobatics, Performance
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
* **Equipment**: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a belt pouch containing ¢30
* **By Popular Demand:** You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble’s court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.
* **(alt) Gladiator:** A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment—perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive but unusual weapon, such as a trident or net.

## Far Traveler

Almost all of the common people and other folk that one might encounter in Vuskan have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling very far from where they were born. You aren't one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk realize that it exists, and chances are good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to these parts for your own reasons, be it as an exile, fugitive, sightseer, wanderer, pilgrim, or emissary. Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land's ways to be strange and uncomfortable, you can also be sure that some things its people take for granted will be to you new wonders that you've never laid eyes on before. By the same token, you're a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Constitution
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Insight, Perception
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice, likely something native to your homeland
* **Languages**: Any one of your choice
* **Equipment**: One set of traveler's clothes, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, poorly wrought maps from your homeland that depict where you are, a small piece of jewelry worth ¢20 in the style of your homeland's craftsmanship, and a pouch containing ¢10
* **All Eyes on You:** Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your homeland. You can parley this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about your distant homeland and people.

## Folk Hero

You come from a humble social rank, but you are destined for so much more. Already the people of your home village regard you as their champion, and your destiny calls you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. Though you haven't saved the world (yet), you've done a lesser, but still very important, proof of valor, such as one of the following: stood up to a tyrant’s agents, saved people during a natural disaster, stood alone against a terrible monster, stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor, led a militia to fight off an invading army, broke into a tyrant’s castle and stole weapons to arm the people, trained the peasantry to use farm implements as weapons against a tyrant’s soldiers, a lord rescinded an unpopular decree after you led a symbolic act of protest against it, or a celestial, fey, or similar creature gave you a blessing for a valorous act or revealed your secret origin.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Strength or Charisma
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Animal Handling, Survival
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land)
* **Equipment**: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢20

* **Rustic Hospitality:** Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

## Gate Urchin

All traffic into and out of major cities pass through gates, making them the ideal places for the destitute to gather to panhandle, busk, gossip, and pick pockets. You grew up on the streets in the shadow of one such great steel edifice. Though you may have moved on, you still have friends among those populations, and that life has had a lasting impact on you.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Dexterity or Intelligence
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Deception, Sleight of Hand
* **Tool Proficiencies:** Thieves' tools, one type of musical instrument
* **Equipment:** A battered alms box, a musical instrument, a cast-off military jacket, cap, or scarf, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch, and ¢20
* **Old Friends:** You made a number of friends among the lower and middle classes when you lived in the gate slums of your chosen city. They remember you fondly and help you in little ways when they can. You can invoke their assistance in and around said city to obtain food, as well as simple equipment for temporary use. You can also invoke it to gain access to the low-security areas of their garrisons, halls, and encampments.

## Guild Artisan

You are a member of an artisan’s guild, skilled in a particular field and closely associated with other artisans. You are a well-established part of the mercantile world, freed by talent and wealth from the constraints of a feudal social order. You learned your skills as an apprentice to a master artisan, under the sponsorship of your guild, until you became a master in your own right. Your guild obviously specializes in a craft, be it a guild of alchemists, armorers, brewers, calligraphers, carpenters, cartographers, cobblers, cooks, fletchers, glassblowers, jewelers, leatherworkers, masons, painters, potters, shipwrights, smiths, tinkers, wagon-makers, weavers, or woodcarvers.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 to the stat most directly feeding into your tool expertise gained through this background
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Expertise in one type of artisan’s tools
* **Languages:** Any one of your choice
* **Equipment**: A set of artisan’s tools (the one you've gained Expertise in), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢30
* **Guild Membership:** As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides. Your fellow guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary, and pay for your funeral if needed. In some cities and towns, a guildhall offers a central place to meet other members of your profession, which can be a good place to meet potential patrons, allies, or hirelings. Guilds often wield tremendous political power. If you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or the crime is justifiable. You can also gain access to powerful political figures through the guild, if you are a member in good standing. Such connections might require the donation of money or magic items to the guild’s coffers. You must pay dues of ¢10 per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild’s good graces.

## Laborer

You are one of the millions of small-time fishers, carpenters, farmers, and servants who have spent their effort and time providing for your self, loved ones, and region. Though circumstances have led you to leave that life behind, you still visit once those that you've worked with once in a while.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Strength or Constitution

* **Skill Proficiencies**: Sleight of Hand or Animal Handling; Athletics
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land or water)
* **Equipment**: Playing card set, a set of common clothes, and a belt containing ¢15
* **Commonfolk**: The commonfolk where you lived remember you and still treat you as one of them. They welcome you and your companions. While they might charge you for it, they'll always offer what food and shelter they have; they'll even hide you if the local watch is after you (but not if higher organizations are).

## Haunted One

You have had one or more meaningful encounters with that which should remain relegated to the dark; that which continues to prey on you. You’ve tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can’t be slain with a sword or banished with a spell. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a whisper with no sound. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from those you trusted and making you question your sanity. You must find a way to overcome whatever it may be before it destroys you.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
* **Skill Proficiencies:** Arcana, Religion
* **Tool Proficiencies:** Any one of your choice
* **Languages:** One relevant exotic language
* **Equipment:** A chest, a crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a silver mirror, a flask of oil, a tinderbox, three torches, and ¢5.
* **Heart of Darkness:** Those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. Though they might fear you, commoners will extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should you find yourself facing an enemy alone.

## Hermit

You lived in seclusion—either in a sheltered community such as a monastery, or entirely alone—for a formative part of your life. In your time apart from the clamor of society, you found quiet, solitude, and perhaps some of the answers you were looking for.

* **Stat Gain:** +1 Wisdom or Constitution
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Religion or Nature; Medicine
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Herbalism kit
* **Languages**: One of your choice
* **Equipment**: A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, a herbalism kit, and ¢10
* **Discovery:** The quiet seclusion of your extended hermitage gave you access to a unique and powerful discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your seclusion. It might be a great truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no one else has ever seen. You might have uncovered a fact that has long been forgotten, or unearthed some relic of the past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who or consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society.

Work with your DM to determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign.

## Noble

You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them. Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much authority that title carries. A noble title doesn’t stand on its own—it’s connected to an entire family, and whatever title you hold, you will pass it down to your own children. Not only do you need to determine your noble title, but you should also work with the DM to describe your family and their influence on you. Is your family old and established, or was your title only recently bestowed? How much influence do they wield, and over what area? What kind of reputation does your family have among the other aristocrats of the region? How do the common people regard them? What’s your position in the family? Are you the heir to the head of the family? Have you already inherited the title? How do you feel about that responsibility? Or are you so far down the line of inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don’t embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or shunned by the rest of your family? Does your family have a coat of arms? An insignia you might wear on a signet ring? Particular colors you wear all the time? An animal you regard as a symbol of your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign.

* **Skill Proficiencies**: History; Persuasion or Deception
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set
* **Languages**: One of your choice
* **Equipment**: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing ¢50
* **Position of Privilege:** Thanks to your noble birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk and merchants make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as a member of the same social sphere. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.

## Inheritor

You are the heir to something of great value - not mere coin or wealth, but an object that has been entrusted to you and you alone. Your inheritance might have come directly to you from a member of your family, by right of birth, or it could have been left to you by a friend, a mentor, a teacher, or someone else important in your life. The revelation of your inheritance changed your life, and might have set you on the path to adventure, but it could also come with many dangers, including those who covet your gift and want to take it from you- by force, if need be.

* **Skill Proficiencies**: One from Arcana, History, and Religion, plus one of your choice
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Your choice of a gaming set or a musical instrument
* **Languages**: Any one of your choice
* **Equipment**: Your inheritance, a set of traveler's clothes, the tool from this background that you chose to be proficient with, and a pouch containing ¢20
* **Inheritance:** Choose or randomly determine your inheritance from among the possibilities in the table below. Work with your Dungeon Master to come up with details: Why is your inheritance so important, and what is its full story? You might prefer for the DM to invent these details as part of the game, allowing you to learn more about your inheritance as your character does. The Dungeon Master is free to use your inheritance as a story hook, sending you on quests to learn more about its history or true nature, or confronting you with foes who want to claim it for themselves or prevent you from learning what you seek. The DM also determines the properties of your inheritance and how they figure into the item's history and importance. For instance, the object might be a minor magic item, or one that begins with a modest ability and increases in potency with the passage of time. Or, the true nature of your inheritance might not be apparent at first and is revealed only when certain conditions are met. When you begin your adventuring career, you can decide whether to tell your companions about your inheritance right away. Rather than attracting attention to yourself, you might want to keep your inheritance a secret until you learn more about what it means to you and what it can do for you.

## Ex-Mercenary

As a sellsword who fought battles for coin, you're well acquainted with risking life and limb for a chance at a share of treasure. Now, you look forward to fighting foes and reaping even greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield. You might have served with a large outfit such as The Free Hand or the soldiers of Lethelin, or a smaller band of sellswords, maybe even more than one. Now you're looking for something else, perhaps greater reward for the risks you take, or the freedom to choose your own activities... Possibly an escape from violence. For whatever reason, you're leaving behind the life of a soldier for hire, but your skills are undeniably suited for battle, so now you fight on in a different way.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Strength or Dexterity
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Athletics, Persuasion
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
* **Equipment**: A uniform of your company (traveler's clothes in quality), an insignia of your rank, a gaming set of your choice, and a pouch containing the remainder of your last wages (¢20)
* **Mercenary Ties**: You know the mercenary life as only someone who has experienced it can. You are able to identify mercenary companies by their emblems, and you know a little about any such company, including the names and reputations of its commanders and leaders, and who has hired them recently. You can find the taverns and feast halls where mercenaries abide in any area, as long as you speak the language. You can find mercenary work between adventures sufficient to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, with minimal risk of injury or death.

## Outlander

You grew up in the wilds, far from civilization and the comforts of town and technology. You’ve witnessed the migration of herds larger than forests, survived weather more extreme than any city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. The wilds are in your blood, whether you were a nomad, forester, trapper, homesteader, guide, bounty hunter, exile, pilgrim, or marauder. Even in places where you don’t know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Constitution
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Survival, Athletics
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of musical instrument
* **Languages**: One of your choice
* **Equipment**: A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢5
* **Wanderer**: You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.

## Seafarer

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval vessel, a ship of discovery, or a pirate ship? How famous (or infamous) is it? Is it widely traveled? Is it still sailing, or is it missing and presumed lost with all hands? What were your duties on board—boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run?

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Strength or Intelligence
* **Skill Proficiencies**: History or Athletics; Perception
* **Tool Proficiencies**: Navigator’s tools, vehicles (water)
* **Equipment**: A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢20
* **Ship's Passage**: When you need to, you can secure passage on a sailing ship for yourself and your adventuring companions, possibly for a small fee or deposit. You might sail on the ship you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. In return for your passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.

## Sage

You spent years learning the lore of the multiverse. You scoured manuscripts, studied scrolls, and listened to the greatest experts on the subjects that interest you. Your efforts have made you a master in your fields of study. You may have been an alchemist, librarian, academic, astronomer, professor, researcher, philosopher, scribe, or wizard's apprentice.

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Intelligence or Wisdom
* **Skill Proficiencies**: History or Religion; Arcana
* **Languages**: Two of your choice
* **Equipment**: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢20
* **Researcher**: When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

## Soldier

War has been your life for as long as you care to remember. You trained as a youth, studied the use of weapons and armor, learned basic survival techniques, including how to stay alive on the battlefield. You might have been part of a standing national army or a mercenary company, or perhaps a member of a local militia who rose to prominence during a recent war. When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine which military organization you were a part of, how far through its ranks you progressed (with a maximum of officer), and what kind of experiences you had during your military career. Was it a standing army, a town guard, or a village militia? Or it might have been a noble’s or merchant’s private army, or a mercenary company. Were you a scout, infantryman, healer, quartermaster, cook, support staffer, cavalryman, or standard bearer?

* **Stat Gain**: +1 Strength
* **Skill Proficiencies**: Intimidation or Perception; Athletics
* **Tool Proficiencies**: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
* **Equipment**: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢20
* **Rank**: You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize you, and are more likely to have a sense of camaraderie. You can invoke your old rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use from allied parties. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
* **(alt) Deserter**: Though you may catch the ire (or outward aggression) of those affiliated with your old miltary, those affiliated with the group you left your old one for are more likely to be more immediately trusting of you. You can invoke this trust with affiliated common folk, and can easily find food and shelter for you and your compatriots, within reason.

## Title (ignore this, just a template for future backgrounds)

Description

* **Stat Gain**:
* **Skill Proficiencies**:
* **Tool Proficiencies**:
* **Equipment**: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing ¢10
* **Rank**: You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize you, and are more likely to have a sense of camaraderie. You can invoke your old rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use from allied parties. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.

# Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws

## Personality Traits

* I idolize a particular hero of my faith and constantly refer to that person's deeds and example.
* I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.
* I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen.
* Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude.
* I quote (or misquote) the sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation.
* I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods.
* I've enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple's elite. Rough living grates on me.
* I've spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.
* I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone.
* I have a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate.
* Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want.
* I'm a born gambler who can't resist taking a risk for a potential payoff.
* I lie about almost everything, even when there's no good reason to.
* Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.
* I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment.
* I pocket anything I see that might have some value.
* I always have plan for what to do when things go wrong.
* I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.
* The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable--or where such things could be hidden.
* I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
* I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
* I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.
* The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it.
* I blow up at the slightest insult.
* I know a story relevant to almost every situation.
* Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip.
* I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that 'special someone'.
* Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension.
* I love a good insult, even one directed at me.
* I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention.
* I'll settle for nothing less than perfection.
* I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song.
* I judge people by their actions, not their words.
* If someone is in trouble, I'm always willing to lend help.
* When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way.
* I have a strong sense of fair play and always try to find the most equitable solution to arguments.
* I'm confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others.
* Thinking is for other people. I prefer action.
* I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter.
* I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny.
* I believe that everything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it--I'm a perfectionist.
* I'm a snob who looks down on those who can't appreciate fine art.
* I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.
* I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.
* I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play.
* I like to talk at length about my profession.
* I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible.
* I'm well known for my work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I'm always taken aback when people haven't heard of me.
* I've been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt.
* I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster.
* The leader of my community has something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom.
* I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer.
* I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations.
* I connect everything that happens to me to a grand cosmic plan.
* I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplations, becoming oblivious to my surroundings.
* I am working on a grand philosophical theory and love sharing my ideas.
* My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.
* The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
* No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.
* I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.
* I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.
* Despite my birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
* My favor, once lost, is lost forever.
* If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.
* I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.
* I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups.
* I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn my clan of an approaching orc horde. I'd do it again if I had to.
* I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
* I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won't save you from a hungry owlbear.
* I'm always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.
* I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.
* I was, in fact, raised by wolves.
* I use polysyllabic words to convey the impression of great erudition.
* I've read every book in the world's greatest libraries--or like to boast that I have.
* I'm used to helping out those who aren't as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
* There's nothing I like more than a good mystery.
* I'm willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.
* I...speak...slowly...when talking...to idiots...which...almost...everyone...is...compared ...to me.
* I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.
* I'm convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.
* My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what.
* I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done.
* I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.
* I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.
* To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.
* I never pass up a friendly wager.
* My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.
* I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.
* I'm always polite and respectful.
* I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind.
* I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.
* I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.
* I can stare down a hellhound without flinching.
* I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.
* I have a crude sense of humor.
* I face problems head-on. A simple direct solution is the best path to success.
* I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets.
* I ask a lot of questions.
* I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me.
* I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms.
* I eat like a pig and have bad manners.
* I think anyone who's nice to me is hiding evil intent.
* I don't like to bathe.
* I bluntly say what other people are hinting or hiding.

## Ideals

* Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful)
* Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful)
* Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good)
* Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic)
* Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith's religious hierarchy. (Lawful)
* Aspiration. I seek to prove my self worthy of my god's favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any)
* Independence. I am a free spirit--no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
* Fairness. I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful)
* Charity. I distribute money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good)
* Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic)
* Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good)
* Aspiration. I'm determined to make something of myself. (Any)
* Honor. I don't steal from others in the trade. (Lawful)
* Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic)
* Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good)
* Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil)
* People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
* Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone. (Good)
* Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good)
* Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten. (Lawful)
* Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic)
* Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil)
* People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral)
* Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any)
* Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good)
* Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. (Lawful)
* Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people. (Chaotic)
* Might. If I become strong, I can take what I want--what I deserve. (Evil)
* Sincerity. There's no good pretending to be something I'm not. (Neutral)
* Destiny. Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling. (Any)
* Community. It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful)
* Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good)
* Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her livelihood. (Chaotic)
* Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil)
* People. I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral)
* Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any)
* Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. (Good)
* Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful)
* Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. (Chaotic)
* Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil)
* Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral)
* Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there're nothing left to know. (Any)
* Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)
* Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)
* Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
* Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
* Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)
* Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)
* Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
* Greater Good. It is each person's responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good)
* Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful)
* Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil)
* Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral)
* Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any)
* Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)
* Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
* Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)
* No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
* Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil)
* Self-improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself.
* Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good)
* Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful)
* Freedom. The sea is freedom--the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic)
* Master. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil)
* People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral)
* Aspiration. Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any)
* Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)
* Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)
* Independence. When people follow orders blindly they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)
* Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
* Ideals aren't worth killing for or going to war for. (Neutral)
* Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)
* Respect. All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good)
* Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful)
* Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic)
* Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in the gutters. (Evil)
* People. I help people who help me--that's what keeps us alive. (Neutral)
* Aspiration. I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life. (Any)

## Bonds

* I would die to recover an ancient artifact of my faith that was lost long ago.
* I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic.
* I owe me life to the priest who took me in when my parents died.
* Everything I do is for the common people.
* I will do anything to protect the temple where I served.
* I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.
* I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about.
* I owe everything to my mentor--a horrible person who's probably rotting in jail somewhere.
* Somewhere out there I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him or her.
* I come from a noble family, and one day I'll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me.
* A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I'll have my revenge.
* I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself.
* I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.
* My ill-gotten gains go to support my family.
* Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
* I will become the greatest thief that ever lived.
* I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it.
* Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.
* My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love.
* Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back.
* I want to be famous, whatever it takes.
* I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's.
* I will do anything to prove myself superior to me hated rival.
* I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe.
* I have a family, but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again.
* I worked the land, I love the land, and I will protect the land.
* A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.
* My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry them so that I will never forget my roots.
* I protect those who cannot protect themselves.
* I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.
* The workshop where I learned my trade is the most important place in the world to me.
* I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I'm still looking for someone worthy.
* I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today.
* I pursue wealth to secure someone's love.
* One day I will return to my guild and prove that I am the greatest artisan of them all.
* I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood.
* Nothing is more important than the other members of my hermitage, order, or association.
* I entered seclusion to hide from the ones who might still be hunting me. I must someday confront them.
* I'm still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, and it still eludes me.
* I entered seclusion because I loved someone I could not have.
* Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world.
* My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.
* I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.
* My house's alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.
* Nothing is more important that the other members of my family.
* I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.
* My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.
* The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.
* My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
* An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
* I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.
* I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend.
* I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.
* It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe.
* It is my duty to protect my students.
* I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.
* I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.
* My life's work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.
* I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
* I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.
* I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.
* The ship is most important--crewmates and captains come and go.
* I'll always remember my first ship.
* In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.
* I was cheated of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due.
* Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.
* I would lay down my life for the people I served with.
* Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
* My honor is my life.
* I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
* Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
* I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
* My town or city is my home, and I'll fight to defend it.
* I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure.
* I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets.
* I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me.
* I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I'm wanted for it.
* No one else is going to have to endure the hardships I've been through.

## Flaws

* I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.
* I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple's hierarchy.
* My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.
* I am inflexible in my thinking.
* I am suspicious of strangers and suspect the worst of them.
* Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life.
* I can't resist a pretty face.
* I'm always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in.
* I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me in the way I fool others.
* I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist taking a risk if there's money involved.
* I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me.
* I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I'll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough.
* When I see something valuable, I can't think about anything but how to steal it.
* When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money.
* If there's a plan, I'll forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll ignore it.
* I have a 'tell' that reveals when I'm lying.
* I turn tail and run when things go bad.
* An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I'm okay with that.
* I'll do anything to win fame and renown.
* I'm a sucker for a pretty face.
* A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around.
* I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat.
* I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble.
* Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends.
* The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed.
* I'm convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure.
* The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again.
* I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.
* Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land.
* I have trouble trusting in my allies.
* I'll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless.
* I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.
* No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers.
* I'm never satisfied with what I have--I always want more.
* I would kill to acquire a noble title.
* I'm horribly jealous of anyone who outshines my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals.
* Now that I've returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much.
* I harbor dark bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation failed to quell.
* I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.
* I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony.
* I'd risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge.
* I like keeping secrets and won't share them with anyone.
* I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
* I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
* I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I'm quick to anger.
* I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
* In fact, the world does revolve around me.
* By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.
* I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
* There's no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.
* I remember every insult I've received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who's ever wronged me.
* I am slow to trust members of other races
* Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.
* Don't expect me to save those who can't save themselves. It is nature's way that the strong thrive and the weak perish.
* I am easily distracted by the promise of information.
* Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
* Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization.
* I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.
* I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.
* I can't keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else's.
* I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.
* I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.
* Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.
* Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop.
* I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.
* My pride will probably lead to my destruction
* The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.
* I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
* I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives--and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
* My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
* I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
* I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.
* If I'm outnumbered, I always run away from a fight.
* Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I'll do just about anything for more of it.
* I will never fully trust anyone other than myself.
* I'd rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair.
* It's not stealing if I need it more than someone else.
* People who don't take care of themselves get what they deserve.