SRD5:Background

< SRD5

D&D 5e (2014) SRD5 OGL CC-BY ʰ 

Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your fighter might have been a courageous knight or a grizzled soldier. Your wizard could have been a sage or an artisan. Your rogue might have gotten by as a guild thief or commanded audiences as a jester.

Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?

The sample background presented here provides both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.

Proficiencies

Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills (described in “Using Ability Scores”). In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools (detailed in “Equipment”). If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead.

Languages

Some backgrounds also allow characters to learn additional languages beyond those given by race. See “Languages.”

Equipment

Each background provides a package of starting equipment. If you use the optional rule to spend coin on gear, you do not receive the starting equipment from your background.

Suggested Characteristics

A background contains suggested personal characteristics based on your background. You can pick characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly, or use the suggestions as inspiration for characteristics of your own creation.

Customizing a Background

You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages from the sample backgrounds. You can either use the equipment package from your background or spend coin on gear as described in the equipment section. (If you spend coin, you can’t also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your GM to create one.

End of the SRD5 material

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General Background Features

This section presents optional features for any background. You may replace the standard feature of your background with any one of the options presented here.

• Inheritor
• Mist Wanderer
• Spirit Medium
• Trauma Survivor
• Traveler

Bonus Feat

DM Optional. Some backgrounds provide a bonus feat at 1st level. If the GM allows such a background all player characters have access to one of the following bonus feats (if their background does not provide a bonus feat):

• Divinely Favored
• Scion of Elemental Air
• Scion of Elemental Earth
• Scion of Elemental Fire
• Scion of Elemental Water
• Skilled
• Tough

List of Backgrounds

49 Backgrounds (official and unofficial)

Background	Skills	Tools	Languages	Specialty	Feature	Summary	Notes	Sources
Acolyte	Insight, Religion		Two of your choice		Shelter of the Faithful	Person of the cloth	Canon	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Athlete	Acrobatics, Athletics	Vehicles (land)	One of your choice	Favored Event	Echoes of Victory	Famous Athlete	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Urban Bounty Hunter	Choose two from among Deception, Insight, Persuasion, and Stealth	Choose two from among one type of gaming set, musical instrument, and thieves' tools			Ear to the Ground	Bounty Hunter of cities and towns	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Charlatan	Deception, Sleight of Hand	Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit		Favorite Schemes	False Identity	Con man, someone who pretends to be someone else.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
City Watch	Athletics, Insight		Two of your choice		Watcher's Eye	Duly ordaned keeper of the peace	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Clan Crafter	History, Insight	One type of Artisan's Tools	Dwarvish or one of your choice if you already know it.		Respect of the Stout Folk	Apprentice of a Dwarven Master Artisan	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Cloistered Scholar	History, plus your choice of one from among Arcana, Nature, and Religion		Two of your choice		Library Access	Librarian	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Courtier	Insight, Persuasion		Two of your choice		Court Functionary	Court of Nobles Bureaucrat	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Criminal	Deception, Stealth	One type of Gaming Set, Thieves' Tools		Criminal Specialty	Criminal Contact	Thief, thug, hired killer, con-man	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Drow Scarred	Stealth, Deception	Cooking, Mining or Cleaning	Undercommon		A fitting sacrifice	former slave of the drow	, UA	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Entertainer	Acrobatics, Performance	Disguise Kit, one type of musical instrument		Entertainer Routines	By Popular Demand	Actor, dancer, musician, poet	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Faction Agent	Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction.		Two of your choice	Factions of the Sword Coast	Save Haven	You belong to an ideological organization and sought to advance its goals	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Far Traveler	Insight, Perception	Musical Instrument	One of your choice	Why you are Here	All Eyes on You	You hail from a place far, far away	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Feylost	Deception, Survival	One type of musical instrument.	One of your choice of Elvish, Gnomish, Goblin, or Sylvan	Feywild Visitor	Feywild Connection	You have lived in the Feywild.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Folk Hero	Animal Handling, Survival	One type of Artisan's Tools, Vehicles (Land)		Defining Event	Rustic Hospitality	Local Hero	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Gate Warden	persuasion, survival		Two of your choice (Abyssal, Celestial, or Infernal recommended)		Planar Infusion	Your background includes significant time near a gate to another plane.	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Giant Foundling	intimidation, survival		Two of your choice	Origin Stories	Strike of the Giants	You were adopted by giants.	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Gladiator	Acrobatics, Performance	Disguise Kit, one type of musical instrument			By Popular Demand	You fight for an audience	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Guild Artisan	Insight, Persuasion	One type of Artisan's Tools	One of your Choice	Guild Business	Guild Membership	Member of an artisan guild	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Guild Merchant	Insight, Persuasion	One set of Navigator's Tools	One of your Choice	Guild Business	Guild Membership	Seller of an artisan guild's goods	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Haunted One	Choose one of Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival		Choose two, one must be (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)	Harrowing Event	Heart of Darkness	Encountered the supernatural at a young age and survived	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Hermit	Medicine, Religion	Herbalism Kit	One of your choice	Life of Seclusion	Discovery	You have separated yourself from others	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Inheritor	Survival, plus one from among Arcana, History, and Religion	Your choice of Gaming Set or a Musical Instrument	Any one of your choice		Inheritance	An item of legacy was entrusted to you	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Investigator	Insight, Investigation		Two of your choice		Watcher's Eye	Police detective	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Gothic Investigator	Choose one of Insight, Investigation, or Perception	Disguise Kit, Thieves' Tools		Path to Mystery	Official Inquiry	You relentlessly seek the truth. Perhaps you're motivated by belief in the law and a sense of universal justice, or maybe that very law has failed you and you seek to make things right. You could have witnessed something remarkable or terrible, and now you must know more about this hidden truth. Or maybe you're a detective for hire, uncovering secrets for well-paying clients. Whether the mysteries you're embroiled in are local crimes or realm-spanning conspiracies, you're driven by a personal need to hunt down even the most elusive clues and reveal what others would keep hidden in the shadows.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Knight	History, Persuasion	One type of Gaming Set	One of your Choice		Retainers	Background: Knight, lowest of nobility	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Knight of Solamnia	Athletics, Survival		Two of your choice		Squire of Solamnia	Background — Honorable knight of Solamina	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Knight of the Order	Persuasion, plus one from among Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion, as appropriate for your order.	One type of gaming set or musical instrument.	One of your Choice		Knightly Regard	Background: Knight of the Order	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Lorehold Student	History, Religion		Two of your choice		Lorehold Initiate	Student of the Lorehold College	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Mage of High Sorcery	Athletics, Survival		Two of your choice		Initiate of High Sorcery	Background - a member of the Mages of High Sorcery	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Mercenary Veteran	Athletics, Persuasion	One type of gaming set, vehicles (land).			Mercenary Life	Soldier of Fortune	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Noble	History, Persuasion	One type of Gaming Set	One of your Choice		Position of Privilege	Background: Member of nobility	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Waterdhavian Noble	History, Persuasion	One type of Gaming Set or Musical Instrument	One of your choice		Kept in Style	You are the offspring of a noble of Waterdeep	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Outlander	Athletics, Survival	One type of musical instrument.	One of your choice	Origin	Wanderer	You have lived outside civilization	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Pirate	Athletics, Perception	Navigator’s Tools, Vehicles (water)			Bad Reputation	You have served aboard a pirate ship	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Planar Philosopher	Arcana, Persuasion		Two of your choice		Conviction	Your philosophy of the nature and working of the planes dominated your pre-adventurer life.	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Prismari Student	Acrobatics, Performance	One type of musical instrument or artisan's tools	One of your choice		Prismari Initiate	Student of the Prismari College	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Quandrix Student	Arcana, Nature	One type of artisan's tools	One of your choice		Quandrix Initiate	Strixhaven student of the Quandrix College	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Rakdos Cultist	Acrobatics, Performance		Choose either Abyssal or Giant	A Flair for the Dramatic	Fearsome Reputation	You are or were a member of the Cult of Rakdos.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Rune Carver	History, Perception		Giant and one other language of your choice	Rune Styles	Rune Carver Apprentice	You were a carver of runes.	Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Sage	Arcana, History		Two of your choice	Specialty	Reseacher	You have studied lore.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Sailor	Athletics, Perception	Navigator’s Tools, Vehicles (water)			Ship's Passage	You have earned a living onboard a ship	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Silverquill Student	Intimidation, Persuasion		Two of your choice		Silverquill Initiate	Strixhaven student of the Silverquill college.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Soldier	Athletics, Intimidation	One type of gaming set, vehicles (land).		Specialty	Military Rank	Enlisted Soldier	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Spy	Deception, Stealth	One type of Gaming Set, Thieves' Tools		Criminal Specialty	Criminal Contact	Infiltrator, private investigator, spy	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Urchin	Sleight of Hand, Stealth	Disguise Kit, thieves' tools			City Secrets	You grew up on the streets	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Uthdardt Tribe Member	Athletics, Survival	One type of Musical Instrument or Artisan Tools	One of your choice		Uthgardt Heritage	You grew up in a tribe of Uthgardt	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Witchlight Hand	Performance, Sleight of Hand	Disguise kit or one type of musical instrument	One of your choice	Carnival Companion	Carnival Fixture	You have been a part of the Witchlight Carnival	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]
Witherbloom Student	Nature, Survival	Herbalism Kit	One of your choice		Witherbloom Initiate	Strixhaven student of the Witherbloom college.	Canon, Pointer	[[Publication:{{{15}}}|{{{15}}}]]

Sources and Notes

• Wizards RPG Team. SRD-OGL v5.1 (5e 2014) (2015.05.06). Wizards of the Coast. Licensed: OGL

Making Your Own Background

To make a user created background copy the text from the Background Boilerplate and paste it into a new page. Then fill in the information for your background.

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