Character Backgrounds

Character backgrounds define a character's story, his starting attributes and equipment. Backgrounds also determine what kind of traits a character can get and they open up specific events and dialog choices as well as their final fate should you retire successfully or not. Talents are random in nature and strength but some backgrounds are limited to certain types. Mercenaries can be hired in settlements or sometimes found while traveling and always require payment, mostly in the form of wages (see the game guide for details).

## Character Backgrounds Data

* Background Details
* Attribute Ranges
* Attribute Averages
* Sources
* Affiliations
The rows show minimum and maximum starting attributes, averages, as well as the same minimum and maximum values relative to the baseline stats (i.e. stats of Apprentice). The expanded description lists special characteristics of each background (e.g. Apprentice has +10% XP gain), affiliations, associated events and excluded traits.

Jump to letter: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Character Backgrounds Attributes are not fixed but rather randomized inside ranges. Each Background shares a base range and adds modifiers on top. Apprentice is the only Background with no modifiers.

Below is a table with all values extracted from the game files. Hover over the icons for textual information.

(HINT: due to some platform changes, sorting triggers are not visible. Sorting still works: move cursor below the "-" or "+" icons in the black-colored header, but above (at the edge of) the grey frame line, till the text over cursor says "Sort Ascending".)

This is another table with expected attributes scores. The last column is a custom made rating that shows how much more points a Background gets from average scores (Apprentice). Every attribute is accounted for and weighed according to its level-up range, **the sum of each ([attribute average difference from Apprentice] ÷ [level-up range at 0 stars] ÷ [3, the number of upgrades per level-up]), rounded to 2 decimal places.** Thus, it represents roughly the number of attribute level-ups better that a Background is, compared to Apprentice. To see another version of the "Rating" column, refer to the previous page version.

     **This article is outdated**:
The values in the table have not been updated since the Blazing Deserts DLC.

The table below provides information on what settlement types, settlement buildings, attachments and situations make characters with certain backgrounds available for hire or increase chances for that.

The % (multiplied by a number of "vacant" recruit slots) indicates the chance for a brother to spawn in a settlement of a particular type for which he "competes" with brothers of other backgrounds who can spawn there too when the list of recruits is refreshed.

## Notes

1. ↑ *Dev Blog #18: Character Traits and Backgrounds*
2. ↑ *Dev Blog #49: Progress Update – Character Backgrounds, Goblin Preview, Visual Makeover Continued*
3. ↑ *Attachments (when not destroyed), buildings and situations add additional entries to the list of character backgrounds from which new recruits are randomly chosen. +1 means that the chance to see such characters available for recruitment was increased by roughly 2-3%/3-5%/6-8,5% for large/medium/small settlements respectively. +2 means 2 times that increase etc.*
The table below shows what affiliation any background belongs to. This is relevant for certain events.