Compendium

Description

You are a member of a teeming horde—one small part of a sprawling organism. Just as you are part of the swarm, the swarm is part of a larger ecosystem, a never-ending cycle of life, death, rot, and rebirth. You have spent your life in the slow churn of that ecosystem, in the dark places of the city where the messy parts of existence are on display. There is little squeamishness among the Golgari, no fear of death or taboo about the dead, just a fierce affirmation of the cycle.

• Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner's kit

• Languages: Choose one of Elvish, Giant, or Kraul

• Equipment: A Golgari insignia, a poisoner's kit, a pet beetle or spider, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp worth of mixed coins

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 53

Description

You know hidden, underground pathways that you can use to bypass crowds, obstacles, and observation as you move through the city. When you aren't in combat, you and companions you lead can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow. The paths of the undercity are haunted by dangers that rarely brave the light of the surface world, so your journey isn't guaranteed to be safe.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Golgari Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — dancing lights, spare the dying

1st — entangle, ray of sickness

2nd — protection from poison, ray of enfeeblement, spider climb

3rd — animate dead, plant growth

4th — giant insect, grasping vine

5th — cloudkill, insect plague

Golgari magic is often accompanied by a sickly green glow and a rotting stench.

Description

Members of the Golgari Swarm are unmistakably products of the undercity, ill at ease amid the comforts of civilization. They bring about the same discomfort in others by reminding them of death's inevitable approach.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | Remember, I could kill you in your sleep. Or put centipedes in your bedroll.

2 | I like to remind people of their inevitable demise.

3 | Sometimes I give voice to the whispers of the rot, which I hear but no one else does.

4 | I do my best to discourage anyone from approaching or talking to me.

5 | I have accepted my death. Hence, I don't fear it.

6 | Like roots growing through stone, I am relentless and determined in my action.

7 | I put my knowledge of anatomy to use by narrating the injuries my enemies suffer in grisly detail.

8 | Like a wild animal, I lash out viciously when I'm provoked—and I'm easily provoked.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Stoicism. All of us are part of the cyclical march of nature, which will continue with or without us. (Neutral)

3 | Nature. The natural world is more important than the edifices of the city and civilization. (Neutral)

4 | Interdependence. We are all part of nature's web. (Lawful)

5 | Ambition. The time of Golgari ascendance is at hand, and I intend to have a prominent place in the new world order. (Evil)

6 | Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of other guilds is a great way to get squashed like a bug. (Neutral)

d6 | Bond

1 | I cherish the finger of a family member who was petrified by a medusa.

2 | I have an identical twin who is as different from me as any person could be.

3 | I want to lead one faction of the guild to a new position of dominance.

4 | I love spending time in the moss-covered building where I took part in my first reclamation mission.

5 | I found something in the sewer that must never come to light.

6 | I am forever grateful to the reclaimer who found me floating facedown in the sewer, moments from death.

d6 | Flaw

1 | Death comes for us all, so you can't expect me to take care of someone who can't fight it off.

2 | I assume that anyone outside the Golgari looks down on me.

3 | I feel a need for revenge against those who enjoy the privilege of living above ground.

4 | I don't bother to couch my opinions in flattering words.

5 | I can't help but pocket any trinket or coin I come across, no matter how worthless.

6 | I'm convinced that I'm better and stronger than members of other guilds, isolated as they are from the realities of life and death.

Description

To the extent that the Golgari Swarm acts like a single organism, you are connected to every other member in some way or another. Convinced that the rest of the world is out to get you, you find it easy to form close bonds with your guild mates, and harder to make meaningful connections with others.

Roll twice on the Golgari Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Golgari Contacts table.

Golgari Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | One of my parents is an elite assassin, a member of the Ochran.

2 | I learned combat from a kraul.

3 | I know a medusa who is stationed in the guildhall.

4 | I had a torrid romance with a spore druid responsible for a large rot farm.

5 | There's a troll in a remote area of the undercity who seems to find me interesting—and who knows more than you'd think.

6 | An elf lich is determined to see me become a lich someday, too.

7 | A medusa decided it would be more fun to recruit me into the guild than to kill me.

8 | I know a findbroker who can locate just about anything, for the right price.

Non-Golgari Contacts

d10 | Contact

1 | An Azorius arrester I literally pulled out of the gutter will do anything for me.

2 | Someone joined the Gruul in a battle against the Boros once, and the sergeant of that Boros squad would love to prove that it was me.

3 | I had a romance with a Dimir agent whom I still feed secrets to.

4 | Roll an additional Golgari contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

5 | I joined the Gruul in a battle against the Boros once, and the chief of that small clan thanks me for turning the tide.

6 | An Izzet scientist resents that I sold a scrapped invention I found in the sewer.

7 | My undercity explorations led me into an Orzhov vault, and a spirit thinks I stole something valuable.

8 | I found a baby beast and sold it to a Rakdos wrangler who remains grateful to me.

9 | A Selesnya druid and I share an interest in the same garden, and we have enjoyable arguments there.

10 | I regularly pick up refuse from beneath a Simic laboratory, and sometimes I talk to the researcher who dumps it there.

Description

As part of the Golgari Swarm, you are a specialized instrument of the greater body. Your orders, when you have such, come from the guildmaster by way of his chancellors, who carry his messages throughout the guild. The swarm relies on you to advance the greater good by protecting some part, however small, of its teeming existence. That responsibility doesn't mean you're indispensable; your eventual death is part of your purpose and function, too, and you'll be replaced even as your body provides nutrients to further the swarm's growth.

A classic adventuring role for a member of the Golgari involves crawling through dungeon-like environments—the sewers and ancient vaults of the undercity—in search of treasures left behind by the dead. Sometimes you might be sent to find a specific item believed lost in a dangerous part of the undercity. At other times, you could be asked to collect samples of a specific fungus, retrieve a body floating in the muck of the sewers, or bring back whatever booty you can to help fill the swarm's coffers.

You might gain enough renown to become a member of the Ochran, assigned to a variety of tasks concerning thievery, assassination, or the protection of important figures in your guild. You might steal something because the guild needs it, or because its loss will bring harm to another guild, hastening that group's decline. You could be assigned to kill an outspoken and active enemy of the Golgari, such as an overzealous Boros captain whose raids into the undercity have approached dangerously close to the swarm's inner sanctum. Or you could serve as a bodyguard to one of Guildmaster Jarad's high chancellors, escorting this figure through the undercity while being ready to intervene at a moment's notice if things go wrong.

The shamans of the Golgari use their magic to accelerate the cycle of decay and regrowth. You might be sent to spread spores throughout an area that the Golgari want to claim as their territory or to convince the inhabitants of such a territory to abandon it. You might also contend with the ever-present threat of hostile monsters encroaching into Golgari-controlled regions.

Description

The Golden Grin began in the far-off land of Tal'Dorei, trading secret messages through a network of bards and minstrels to undermine an iron-fisted king's authoritarian rule. Today, Tal'Dorei is a relatively peaceful republic, and some Grinners have grown restless while waiting for tyranny to raise its ugly head again. A contingent of such Grinners traveled to the Menagerie Coast and set up a network of secret bases in the cities of the Clovis Concord, from which they are presently working their way into the highest echelons of the Dwendalian Empire.

You are a Grinner. Your goals are to spread freedom and inspire hope — or, in time, revolution — in the hearts of the oppressed.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Performance

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument, thieves' tools

• Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, a musical instrument of your choice, a gold-plated ring depicting a smiling face, and a pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 200

Description

All members of the Golden Grin have learned a handful of folk songs in their travels, and use those songs to send secret codes and alert fellow Grinners to danger. Choose a favorite song or roll on the Favorite CodeSongs table.

d6 | Favorite Code-Song

1 | Zan's Comin' Back. This hopeful Tal'Dorei folk song declares the inevitable return of a just ruler. Use it to seek out potential allies.

2 | Blow Fire Down the Coast. A rowdy fighting song from the Clovis Concord, this ditty talks of blasting up pirate ships. Use it to encourage battle.

3 | Hush! Onward Come the Dragons. This Tal'Dorei folk song recounts the terror in the days after the invasion of the red dragon called the Cinder King. Use it to encourage caution in speech and deed.

4 | Let the Sword Grow Rust. An antiwar anthem from Marquet, this song has uncertain origins. Use it to help quell violent encounters.

5 | Drink Deep, Li'l Hummingbird. A drinking rondo from the Menagerie Coast, this song tells the tale of a young person who drinks so heavily that they awaken to find they've stowed away on a ship. Use it to encourage alertness in social situations.

6 | Dirge for the Emerald Fire. This elven song supposedly has thousands of obscure verses. Use the first two verses to spread news of death or defeat.

Description

Like every Grinner, you know how to find a hideout. In any city of 10,000 people or more on the Menagerie Coast or in the lands of the Dwendalian Empire, you can play the "Ballad of the Grinning Fool" in a major tavern or inn. A member of the Golden Grin will find you and give shelter to you and any companions you vouch for. This shelter might be discontinued if it becomes too dangerous to hide you, at the DM's discretion.

This feature must be used with caution, for not all who know the ballad are your friends. Some are traitors, counterspies, or agents of tyranny.

Description

Grinners are trained in the art of secrecy and innuendo, and are skilled at hiding in plain sight by being the loudest and brightest person in the room. Their skills in subterfuge and combat lend themselves well to an adventuring lifestyle, and traveling with mercenaries and treasure hunters creates a convenient excuse to journey through lands bent under tyranny.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I love the spotlight. Everyone, look at me!

2 | Give me a drink and I'm your friend.

3 | Talk to me about yourself. I'm a hell of a listener.

4 | I hate to start fights, but I love to finish them.

5 | I can't sit still.

6 | I'm always humming an old tune from my past.

7 | When I don't have a reason to smile, I'm miserable.

8 | I'm lucky like you wouldn't believe.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Revolution. Tyrants must fall, no matter the cost. (Chaotic)

2 | Compassion. The only way to make a better world is to perform small kindnesses. (Good)

3 | Justice. A nation built upon just foundations will uphold freedom for all. (Law)

4 | Expression. Music, joy, and laughter are the keys to freedom. (Good)

5 | Self-Determination. People should be free to do as they please. (Chaotic)

6 | Vigilance. A free people must be carefully taught, lest they be misled. (Neutral)

d6 | Bond

1 | I lost someone important to an agent of the Dwendalian Empire. That regime will fall.

2 | The first people to be hurt by this war will be the common folk. I need to protect them.

3 | Music helped me through a dark time in my life. Now, I'll use music to change the world.

4 | I will be known as the greatest spy who ever lived.

5 | All life is precious to me. I know I can change the world without taking a humanoid life.

6 | The elite in their ivory towers don't understand how we suffer. I intend to show them.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I've never lied once in my life. What? No, I'm not crossing my fingers!

2 | I do everything big! Subtlety? I don't know the meaning of subtlety! Oh, that's a problem?

3 | Being a spy in wartime is painful. I've seen so much suffering, I think I'm losing my mind.

4 | I can't focus on my mission. I just want to carouse and sing and play!

5 | Yeah, that's my name. Yeah, I'm a Grinner spy. Who cares about staying undercover?

6 | I can't afford to trust anyone. Not. Anyone.

Description

The entire world of Ravnica is a sprawling metropolis, but you are a native of the wild areas that still exist—the abandoned districts, the rubblebelts, the overgrown parks, and the crumbling ruins. You are part of a savage society that clings desperately to the Old Ways—attuned to nature, full of primal rage, and given short shrift by a world consumed with continuing civilization's march of progress.

• Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Athletics

• Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit

• Languages: Choose one of Draconic, Giant, Goblin, or Sylvan

• Equipment: A Gruul insignia, a hunting trap, an herbalism kit, the skull of a boar, a beast-hide cloak, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp (Azorius 1-zino coins)

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 60

Description

You are intimately familiar with areas of the city that most people shun: ruined neighborhoods where wurms rampaged, overgrown parks that no hand has tended in decades, and the vast, sprawling rubblebelts of broken terrain that civilized folk have long abandoned. You can find a suitable place for you and your allies to hide or rest in these areas. In addition, you can find food and fresh water in these areas for yourself and up to five other people each day.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Gruul Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — fire bolt, produce flame

1st — compelled duel, speak with animals, thunderwave

2nd — beast sense, shatter

3rd — conjure animals, conjure barrage

4th — dominate beast, stoneskin

5th — destructive wave

Fueled by the fire of rage burning in your heart, your magic is almost always accompanied by fiery effects, such as flames smoldering behind your eyes or dancing over your hands.

Description

Gruul ways aren't the ways of civilized folk, and the Gruul have little patience for social niceties. But they do have cherished traditions and values, just as important to them as the different values held by the urban, cosmopolitan culture of Ravnica.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | Unlike people, the beasts of the wild are friends who won't stab me in the back.

2 | Go ahead and insult me—I dare you.

3 | I scorn those who can't survive away from the comforts of the city.

4 | Don't tell me I'm not allowed to do something.

5 | Laws are for people who are afraid to face their inner beasts.

6 | I smear the blood of my enemies over my skin.

7 | I was, in fact, raised by maaka.

8 | HarrRRAAGGHH! [I rarely form a coherent sentence and prefer to express myself by breaking things.]

d6 | Ideal

1 | Clan. My clan is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Anarchy. No person or law or custom can tell another what to do. (Chaotic)

3 | Nature. We weren't born tame or domesticated, so we shouldn't have to live that way. (Neutral)

4 | Might. The strongest are meant to dominate the weak. (Evil)

5 | Rage. AAAAAARRRRggggh! [To live is to feel and express the rage burning in your belly.] (Chaotic)

6 | Tradition. The Old Ways must be preserved and upheld. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I am determined that one day I will lead my clan—or a new one.

2 | I would give my life for my clan chieftain.

3 | The chieftain of another clan has a grudge against me.

4 | I am devoted to a sacred site in the midst of the rubblebelt.

5 | My weapon is made from the first raktusk I ever hunted.

6 | GrrrRRAAAAGGHH! [I will do anything to prove myself greater than my siblings or ancestors.]

d6 | Flaw

1 | If you question my courage, I will never back down.

2 | HrrrGGGAAAARRuuuh! [My anger in battle led to the death of a loved one.]

3 | I'm as stubborn as a batterboar.

4 | I'm so convinced of my superiority over soft, civilized people that I'll take great risks to prove it.

5 | I'm easily manipulated by people I find attractive.

6 | I'm not actually all that angry.

Description

The members of the Gruul Clans rely on each other even as they vie for territory and glory. Their encounters with members of other guilds are more often violent than friendly, but occasional bonds do form.

Roll twice on the Gruul Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Gruul Contacts table.

Gruul Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | One of my parents is a renowned warrior in my clan.

2 | My sibling has the ear of the clan chief.

3 | I have cousins in a different clan.

4 | When we were younger, I was romantically involved with a prominent warrior in my clan.

5 | A druid in my clan believes I have a destiny to fulfill.

6 | The warrior who trained me remembers me for my exceptional potential.

7 | My clan chief killed one of my parents, who had challenged the chief for leadership of the clan. Some combination of resentment and remorse stirs the clan chief to help me sometimes.

8 | I made a strong impression on Borborygmos.

Non-Gruul Contacts

d10 | Contact

1 | An Azorius arrester thinks I can be reformed.

2 | A Boros soldier gives me gifts in exchange for information about other clans' movements.

3 | I once caught and released a Dimir spy.

4 | I consult with a Golgari shaman for spiritual guidance at times.

5 | Roll an additional Gruul contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

6 | An Izzet scientist blames the Gruul for the destruction of his life's work in a raid, but seems to think that I'm not like other Gruul.

7 | I foolishly borrowed money from an Orzhov syndic to indulge a shameful vice.

8 | A close friend left our clan and joined the Cult of Rakdos.

9 | A distant relative is trying to recruit me into the Selesnya Conclave.

10 | I stopped a Simic biomancer from trapping wild beasts to perform vile experiments on them.

Description

In service of a simple goal, you have a simple part to play: Fight. Unleash your rage. Flatten buildings and defeat those who stand in your way. Be Gruul, in your own way.

You will frequently be summoned to participate in a raid your clan is launching against the city or against a group of its defenders. Your clan leader might also send you on a special mission, though it would almost certainly still qualify as a raid. You might join a small group of Gruul warriors on a dangerous charge deep into the settled streets to plunder a certain location, retrieve an item stolen from your clan, or assault a Boros garrison.

Sometimes your objective might be more esoteric. With prophecies of the return of Ilharg the Raze-Boar spreading like wildfire among the Gruul druids, you might be asked to carry out some task that the druids believe will speed his coming. Such a task might involve collecting a sacred relic held in an Orzhov vault or collecting sacrifices for a grand ceremony in the Raze-Boar's honor.

Description

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.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 132

Description

Guilds are generally found in cities large enough to support several artisans practicing the same trade. However, your guild might instead be a loose network of artisans who each work in a different village within a larger realm. Work with your DM to determine the nature of your guild. You can select your guild business from the Guild Business table or roll randomly.

d20 | Guild Business

1 | Alchemists and apothecaries

2 | Armorers, locksmiths, and finesmiths

3 | Brewers, distillers, and vintners

4 | Calligraphers, scribes, and scriveners

5 | Carpenters, roofers, and plasterers

6 | Cartographers, surveyors, and chart-makers

7 | Cobblers and shoemakers

8 | Cooks and bakers

9 | Glassblowers and glaziers

10 | Jewelers and gemcutters

11 | Leatherworkers, skinners, and tanners

12 | Masons and stonecutters

13 | Painters, limners, and sign-makers

14 | Potters and tile-makers

15 | Shipwrights and sailmakers

16 | Smiths and metal-forgers

17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters

18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights

19 | Weavers and dyers

20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers

As a member of your guild, you know the skills needed to create finished items from raw materials (reflected in your proficiency with a certain kind of artisan's tools), as well as the principles of trade and good business practices. The question now is whether you abandon your trade for adventure, or take on the extra effort to weave adventuring and trade together.

Description

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 5 gp per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild's good graces.

Description

Guild artisans are among the most ordinary people in the world — until they set down their tools and take up an adventuring career. They understand the value of hard work and the importance of community, but they're vulnerable to sins of greed and covetousness.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it — I'm a perfectionist.

2 | I'm a snob who looks down on those who can't appreciate fine art.

3 | I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.

4 | I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.

5 | I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play.

6 | I like to talk at length about my profession.

7 | I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible.

8 | 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.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Community. It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful)

2 | Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good)

3 | Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. (Chaotic)

4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil)

5 | People. I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral)

6 | Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | The workshop where I learned my trade is the most important place in the world to me.

2 | I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I'm still looking for someone worthy.

3 | I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today.

4 | I pursue wealth to secure someone's love.

5 | One day I will return to my guild and prove that I am the greatest artisan of them all.

6 | I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I'll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless.

2 | I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.

3 | No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers.

4 | I'm never satisfied with what I have — I always want more.

5 | I would kill to acquire a noble title.

6 | I'm horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals.

Description

Instead of an artisans' guild, you might belong to a guild of traders, caravan masters, or shopkeepers. You don't craft items yourself but earn a living by buying and selling the works of others (or the raw materials artisans need to practice their craft). Your guild might be a large merchant consortium (or family) with interests across the region. Perhaps you transported goods from one place to another, by ship, wagon, or caravan, or bought them from traveling traders and sold them in your own little shop. In some ways, the traveling merchant's life lends itself to adventure far more than the life of an artisan.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: Navigator's tools

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A mule and a cart, a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 133

Description

Guilds are generally found in cities large enough to support several artisans practicing the same trade. However, your guild might instead be a loose network of artisans who each work in a different village within a larger realm. Work with your DM to determine the nature of your guild. You can select your guild business from the Guild Business table or roll randomly.

d20 | Guild Business

1 | Alchemists and apothecaries

2 | Armorers, locksmiths, and finesmiths

3 | Brewers, distillers, and vintners

4 | Calligraphers, scribes, and scriveners

5 | Carpenters, roofers, and plasterers

6 | Cartographers, surveyors, and chart-makers

7 | Cobblers and shoemakers

8 | Cooks and bakers

9 | Glassblowers and glaziers

10 | Jewelers and gemcutters

11 | Leatherworkers, skinners, and tanners

12 | Masons and stonecutters

13 | Painters, limners, and sign-makers

14 | Potters and tile-makers

15 | Shipwrights and sailmakers

16 | Smiths and metal-forgers

17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters

18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights

19 | Weavers and dyers

20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers

As a member of your guild, you know the skills needed to create finished items from raw materials (reflected in your proficiency with a certain kind of artisan's tools), as well as the principles of trade and good business practices. The question now is whether you abandon your trade for adventure, or take on the extra effort to weave adventuring and trade together.

Description

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 5 gp per month to the guild. If you miss payments, you must make up back dues to remain in the guild's good graces.

Description

Guild artisans are among the most ordinary people in the world — until they set down their tools and take up an adventuring career. They understand the value of hard work and the importance of community, but they're vulnerable to sins of greed and covetousness.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it — I'm a perfectionist.

2 | I'm a snob who looks down on those who can't appreciate fine art.

3 | I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.

4 | I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.

5 | I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play.

6 | I like to talk at length about my profession.

7 | I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible.

8 | 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.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Community. It is the duty of all civilized people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful)

2 | Generosity. My talents were given to me so that I could use them to benefit the world. (Good)

3 | Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue his or her own livelihood. (Chaotic)

4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil)

5 | People. I'm committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral)

6 | Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | The workshop where I learned my trade is the most important place in the world to me.

2 | I created a great work for someone, and then found them unworthy to receive it. I'm still looking for someone worthy.

3 | I owe my guild a great debt for forging me into the person I am today.

4 | I pursue wealth to secure someone's love.

5 | One day I will return to my guild and prove that I am the greatest artisan of them all.

6 | I will get revenge on the evil forces that destroyed my place of business and ruined my livelihood.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I'll do anything to get my hands on something rare or priceless.

2 | I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.

3 | No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers.

4 | I'm never satisfied with what I have — I always want more.

5 | I would kill to acquire a noble title.

6 | I'm horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my handiwork. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals.

Description

You are one of the hundreds of small-time fishermen and women who haul the bounty of Mulmaster's freshwater harbor to the city's markets each morning. You have spent countless days rowing in the waters in and around Mulmaster and know them and the other fisherfolk, dockworkers, and port inhabitants better than anyone. Though you have left that life behind, you still visit once in a while.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Sleight of Hand

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (water)

• Equipment: Fishing tackle, dice set, playing card set, or Three-Dragon Ante set, a set of common clothes, rowboat, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp

Source: Mulmaster Bonds and Backgrounds p. 4

Description

You grew up on the docks and waters of Mulmaster Harbor. The harborfolk 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 City Watch is after you (but not if the Hawks are). [Note: This feature is a variant of the Folk Hero feature.]

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I am curious. I want to know why things are the way they are and why people do the things that they do.

2 | I can't sing, but that never stops me from doing it, loudly. Everyone loves a good sea chanty!

3 | I think the High Blade is doing a terrific job, don't you?

4 | I'm very excited that the House Built on Gold is being restored. I am a zealous worshipper of Waukeen.

5 | I am quite superstitious. I see portents in everyday occurrences.

6 | I resent the rich and enjoy thwarting their plans and spoiling their fun in small ways.

7 | I have a sea story to fit every occasion.

8 | I'm a fisher, but I secretly detest eating fish. I will do anything to avoid it.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Calm. For all things, there is a tide. I set sail when it is right, and mend my nets when it is not. (Lawful)

2 | Windblown. I go where the winds blow. No man or woman tells me where or when to sail. (Chaotic)

3 | Aspiring. I will gain the favor of a Zor or Zora patron, maybe even one of the Blades! (Any)

4 | Salty. I want people to look to me as an expert on plying Mulmaster Harbor. (Any)

5 | Selfless. We are all children of the sea. I help everyone in peril afloat and ashore. (Good)

6 | Let them Drown. I refuse to risk my hide to help others. They wouldn't help me if roles were reversed. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | I once lost everything but my rowboat. I'll do anything to protect it.

2 | My brother was in the Soldiery, but he was killed. I really look up to the men and women who serve.

3 | The Cloaks killed my friend for spellcasting. I'll get them back somehow, someday.

4 | The High House of Hurting helped me when I was hurt and asked nothing in return. I owe them my life.

5 | I was robbed in the Zhent ghetto once. It will not happen again.

6 | I would do anything to protect the other harborfolk. They are my family.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I drink too much, which causes me to miss the tide.

2 | I killed a drunk member of the City Watch in a brawl. I am terrified that they might find out.

3 | I oversell myself and make promises I can't keep when I want to impress someone.

4 | Book learning is a waste of time. I have no patience for people who don't speak from experience.

5 | I almost always cheat. I can't help myself.

6 | I am a secret informant for the Hawks. I send them reports about everything I see and hear, even what my friends and allies are up to.

Description

You are haunted by something so terrible that you dare not speak of it. 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 demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. You must find a way to overcome it before it destroys you.

• Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival

• Languages: Choose two, one of which must be Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon

• Equipment: A monster hunter's pack (containing a chest, a crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a steel mirror, a flask of oil, a tinderbox, and 3 torches), one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Horror Trinkets table later in this chapter), a set of common clothes, and 1 sp.

Source: Curse of Strahd p. 209, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft p. 34

Description

Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was defined by one dark moment, one fateful decision, or one tragedy. Now you feel a darkness threatening to consume you, and you fear there may be no hope of escape. Choose a harrowing event that haunts you, or roll one on the Harrowing Events table.

d10 | Event

1 | A monster that slaughtered dozens of innocent people spared your life, and you don't know why.

2 | You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night.

3 | An apparition that has haunted your family for generations now haunts you. You don't know what it wants, and it won't leave you alone.

4 | Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts. You dabbled once and felt something horrible clutch at your soul, whereupon you fled in terror.

5 | An oni took your sibling one cold, dark night, and you were unable to stop it.

6 | You were cursed with lycanthropy and later cured. You are now haunted by the innocents you slaughtered.

7 | A hag kidnapped and raised you. You escaped, but the hag still has a magical hold over you and fills your mind with evil thoughts.

8 | You opened an eldritch tome and saw things unfit for a sane mind. You burned the book, but its words and images are burned into your psyche.

9 | A fiend possessed you as a child. You were locked away but escaped. The fiend is still inside you, but now you try to keep it bottled up.

10 | You did terrible things to avenge the murder of someone you loved. You became a monster, and it haunts your waking dreams.

Description

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.

Description

You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you. You are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life.

d12 | Personality Trait

1 | I had an encounter that I believe gives me a special affinity with a supernatural creature or event.

2 | A signature piece of clothing or distinct weapon serves as an emblem of who I am.

3 | I never accept that I'm out of my depth.

4 | I must know the answer to every secret. No door remains unopened in my presence.

5 | I let people underestimate me, revealing my full competency only to those close to me.

6 | I compulsively seek to collect trophies of my travels and victories.

7 | It doesn't matter if the whole world's against me. I'll always do what I think is right.

8 | I have morbid interests and a macabre aesthetic.

9 | I have a personal ritual, mantra, or relaxation method I use to deal with stress.

10 | Nothing is more important than life, and I never leave anyone in danger.

11 | I'm quick to jump to extreme solutions. Why risk a lesser option not working?

12 | I'm easily startled, but I'm not a coward.

d12 | Ideal

1 | Adrenaline. I've experienced such strangeness that now I feel alive only in extreme situations.

2 | Balance. I strive to counter the deeds of someone for whom I feel responsible.

3 | Bound. I've wronged someone and must work their will to avoid their curse.

4 | Escape. I believe there is something beyond the world I know, and I need to find it.

5 | Legacy. I must do something great so that I'm remembered, and my time is running out.

6 | Misdirection. I work vigorously to keep others from realizing my flaws or misdeeds.

7 | Obsession. I've lived this way for so long that I can't imagine another way.

8 | Obligation. I owe it to my people, faith, family, or teacher to continue a vaunted legacy.

9 | Promise. My life is no longer my own. I must fulfill the dream of someone who's gone.

10 | Revelation. I need to know what lies beyond the mysteries of death, the world, or the Mists.

11 | Sanctuary. I know the forces at work in the world and strive to create islands apart from them.

12 | Truth. I care about the truth above all else, even if it doesn't benefit anyone.

d12 | Bond

1 | I desperately need to get back to someone or someplace, but I lost them in the Mists.

2 | Everything I do is in the service of a powerful master, one I must keep a secret from everyone.

3 | I owe much to my vanished mentor. I seek to continue their work even as I search to find them.

4 | I've seen great darkness, and I'm committed to being a light against it—the light of all lights.

5 | Someone I love has become a monster, murderer, or other threat. It's up to me to redeem them.

6 | The world has been convinced of a terrible lie. It's up to me to reveal the truth.

7 | I deeply miss someone and am quick to adopt people who remind me of them.

8 | A great evil dwells within me. I will fight against it and the world's other evils for as long as I can.

9 | I'm desperately seeking a cure to an affliction or a curse, either for someone close to me for myself.

10 | Spirits are drawn to me. I do all I can to help them find peace.

11 | I use my cunning mind to solve mysteries and find justice for those who've been wronged.

12 | I lost someone I care about, but I still see them in guilty visions, recurring dreams, or as a spirit.

d12 | Flaw

1 | I believe doom follows me and that anyone who gets close to me will face a tragic end.

2 | I'm convinced something is after me, appearing in mirrors, dreams, and places where no one could.

3 | I'm especially superstitious and live life seeking to avoid bad luck, wicked spirits, or the Mists.

4 | I've done unspeakable evil and will do anything to prevent others from finding out.

5 | I am exceptionally credulous and believe any story or legend immediately.

6 | I'm a skeptic and don't believe in the power of rituals, religion, superstition, or spirits.

7 | I know my future is written and that anything I do will lead to a prophesied end.

8 | I need to find the best in everyone and everything, even when that means denying obvious malice.

9 | I've seen the evil of a type of place—like forests, cities, or graveyards—and resist going there.

10 | I'm exceptionally cautious, planning laboriously and devising countless contingencies.

11 | I have a reputation for defeating a great evil, but that's a lie and the wicked force knows.

12 | I know the ends always justify the means and am quick to make sacrifices to attain my goals.

Description

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.

• Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion

• 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, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 134

Description

What was the reason for your isolation, and what changed to allow you to end your solitude? You can work with your DM to determine the exact nature of your seclusion, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the reason behind your seclusion.

d8 | Life of Seclusion

1 | I was searching for spiritual enlightenment.

2 | I was partaking of communal living in accordance with the dictates of a religious order.

3 | I was exiled for a crime I didn't commit.

4 | I retreated from society after a life-altering event.

5 | I needed a quiet place to work on my art, literature, music, or manifesto.

6 | I needed to commune with nature, far from civilization.

7 | I was the caretaker of an ancient ruin or relic.

8 | I was a pilgrim in search of a person, place, or relic of spiritual significance.

Description

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.

Description

Some hermits are well suited to a life of seclusion, whereas others chafe against it and long for company. Whether they embrace solitude or long to escape it, the solitary life shapes their attitudes and ideals. A few are driven slightly mad by their years apart from society.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I've been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt.

2 | I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster.

3 | The leader of my community had something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom.

4 | I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer.

5 | I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations.

6 | I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan.

7 | I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings.

8 | I am working on a grand philosophical theory and love sharing my ideas.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Greater Good. My gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. (Good)

2 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful)

3 | Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. (Chaotic)

4 | Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil)

5 | Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral)

6 | Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there's nothing left to know. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | Nothing is more important than the other members of my hermitage, order, or association.

2 | I entered seclusion to hide from the ones who might still be hunting me. I must someday confront them.

3 | I'm still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, and it still eludes me.

4 | I entered seclusion because I loved someone I could not have.

5 | Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world.

6 | My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.

d6 | Flaw

1 | Now that I've returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much.

2 | I harbor dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell.

3 | I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.

4 | I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony.

5 | I'd risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge.

6 | I like keeping secrets and won't share them with anyone.

Description

Before becoming an adventurer, you were a successful merchant operating out Hillsfar, the City of Trade. Your family operated warehouses, organized caravans, managed stores, or owned a ship and has trade contacts throughout the Moonsea region, as well as up and down the length of the Sword Coast. Perhaps they import ore, uncut gems, untreated furs, or grain into the City of Trade, or they export fine cloth, faceted gems, fine furs, or Dragon's Breath, a brandy-like liquor. Regardless, you've largely given that life up for some reason and have chosen to seek adventure instead. Nevertheless, the training you received then, and perhaps the contacts you made, serve you well as an adventurer.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (land) and vehicles (water)

• Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a letter of introduction from your family's trading house, and a purse containing 25 gp

Source: Hillsfar Character Backgrounds and Bonds p. 6

Description

Although you've left the day-to-day life of a merchant behind, your family has assigned you the services of a loyal retainer from the business, a factor, husbanding agent, seafarer, caravan guard, or clerk. This individual is a commoner who can perform mundane tasks for you such as making purchases, delivering messages, and running errands. He or she will not fight for you and will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if frequently endangered or abused. If he or she is killed, the family assigns you another within a few days. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Noble Knight's Retainers feature.]

Description

You and your family have trade contacts such as caravan masters, shopkeepers, sailors, artisans, and farmers throughout the Moonsea region and all along the Sword Coast. Once per game session, when adventuring in either of those areas, you can use those contacts to get information about the local area or to pass a message to someone in those areas, even across the great distance between the two areas. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Criminal Contact and Researcher features.]

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I fill my evenings with wine or mead and song.

2 | I greatly admire gladiators and enjoy the Arena.

3 | I take my wealth for granted. It seldom occurs to me that others aren't rich themselves.

4 | I leave broken hearts all around the Moonsea and up and down the Sword Coast.

5 | I work hard and seldom make time for fun.

6 | I am a particularly devout and pray often.

7 | The Red Plumes caught me once. I hate them.

8 | I ask a lot of questions to get information about those with whom I am working and dealing.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Frugal. I spend my money very carefully. (Lawful)

2 | Profligate. I tend to spend extravagantly. (Chaotic)

3 | Honest. I deal with others above board. (Any)

4 | Sharp. I seek to make the best deal possible. (Any)

5 | Charitable. I give generously to others. (Good)

6 | Greedy. I do not share my wealth with others. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | I am fiercely loyal to those with whom I work.

2 | I must uphold the good name of my family.

3 | I will prove myself to my family as an adventurer.

4 | Deals are sacrosanct. I never go back on my word.

5 | I love making deals and negotiating agreements.

6 | I guard my wealth jealously.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I am a braggart. I promote myself shamelessly.

2 | I am vain. I always wear the latest fashions.

3 | I am a glutton. I eat and drink to excess.

4 | I am a snob. I want only the finest things in life.

5 | I am lazy. I want others to take care of everything.

6 | I am overconfident. I overestimate my abilities.

Description

Hillsfar is the City of Trade. However, the Great Law of Trade only protects "legitimate" trade, trade that passes through the city's sole gate, which the Red Plumes monitor and tax. And the Great Law of Humanity banishes non-humans from the city altogether. The two Great Laws create great demand and great risk for smugglers, who shepherd illicit goods and non-humans into and out of the city by secret routes. The Rogues Guild tightly controls all of this activity, taking its cut from sanctioned jobs and exacting punishment for independent jobs.

Perhaps you trafficked Dragon's Breath (a brandy-like liquor) to avoid tariffs or contraband to avoid seizure, or maybe you are a human who sympathizes with the non-humans and worked as part of the network of secret routes and safe houses that helps them pass through Hillsfar. Either way, you have contacts in the smuggling community who can help you slip into and out of the city unnoticed, for a price.

• Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth

• Tool Proficiencies: Forgery kit

• Languages: One racial language

• Equipment: A forgery kit, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch, and 5 gp

Source: Hillsfar Character Backgrounds and Bonds p. 7

Description

You can call on your contacts within the smuggling community to secure secret passage into or out of Hillsfar for yourself and your adventuring companions, no questions asked, and no Red Plume entanglements. Because you're calling in a favor, you can't be certain they will be able to help on your timetable or at all. Your Dungeon Master will determine whether you can be smuggled into or out of the city. In return for your passage, you and your companions may owe the Rouges Guild a favor and/or may have to pay bribes. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Sailor feature.]

Description

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | When I'm not smuggling, I gamble.

2 | I just love Halfling cooking and baking!

3 | I party with dwarves whenever I can.

4 | I'm a terrible singer, but I love to do it.

5 | I was raised to honor Chauntea and still do.

6 | The blood sports of the Arena sicken me.

7 | I think non-humans are really interesting.

8 | I exaggerate the tales of my exploits.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Fair. I think everyone deserves to be treated fairly. I don't play favorites. (Lawful)

2 | Impulsive. Planning is often a waste of time. No plan survives contact with reality. It's easier to dive in and deal with the consequences. (Chaotic)

3 | Curious. I want to learn as much as I can about the people and places I encounter. (Any)

4 | Prepared. I think success depends on preparing as much as possible in advance. (Any)

5 | Respectful. I think everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, creed, color, or origin. (Good)

6 | Corrupt. I will break the law or act dishonestly if the money is right. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | I am loyal to the Rogues Guild and would do anything for them.

2 | I love the city of Hillsfar and my fellow Hillsfarians, despite the recent problems.

3 | I admire the elves. I help them whenever I can.

4 | A gnome helped me once. I pay the favor forward.

5 | I enjoy tricking the Red Plumes at every opportunity.

6 | I smuggled agricultural goods for non-human farmers. I try to help them when I can.

d6 | Flaw

1 | My hatred for the Red Plumes burns so brightly that I have difficulty suppressing It around them.

2 | The Red Plumes caught me once before, and I was branded for my crime. If they catch me again, for any offense, the punishment will be dire.

3 | I treat all Hillsfarans poorly. I am disgusted with their failure to revolt against the Great Law of Humanity.

4 | I have difficulty trusting strangers. Anyone could be a spy for the authorities.

5 | I am greedy. There Isn't much I won't do for money.

6 | I'm an informant for the Red Plumes. They let me continue my activities, so long as I pass them information about illegal activity in Hillsfar.

Description

You have sworn fealty to a dragonmarked house. If you have a dragonmark, you're likely a member of one of the house's influential families; otherwise you're an outsider who hopes to make your fortune through the house. Your main task is to serve as the eyes of your house, but you could be called on at any time to act as its hand. Such missions can be perilous but lucrative.

• Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiency: Two proficiencies from the House Tool Proficiencies table

• Equipment: A set of fine clothes, house signet ring, identification papers, and a purse containing 20 gp

Your House | Proficiencies

Cannith | Alchemist's supplies and tinker's tools

Deneith | One gaming set and vehicles (land)

Ghallanda | Brewer's supplies and cook's utensils

Jorasco | Alchemist's supplies and herbalism kit

Kundarak | Thieves' tools and tinker's tools

Lyrandar | Navigator's tools and vehicles (sea and air)

Medani | Disguise kit and thieves' tools

Orien | One gaming set and vehicles (land)

Phiarlan | Disguise kit and one musical instrument

Sivis | Calligrapher's supplies and forgery kit

Tharashk | One gaming set and thieves' tools

Thuranni | One musical instrument and poisoner's kit

Vadalis | Herbalism kit and vehicles (land)

Source: Eberron: Rising from the Last War p. 53

Description

You always gather information for your house, but when a baron give you a specific mission, what sort of work do you do? The House Agent Role table gives possibilities.

d8 | Role

1 | Acquisition

2 | Investigation

3 | Research & Development

4 | Security

5 | Intimidation

6 | Exploration

7 | Negotiation

8 | Covert Operations

Description

As an agent of your house, you can always get food and lodging for yourself and your friends at a house enclave. When the house assigns you a mission, it will usually provide you with the necessary supplies and transportation. Beyond this, you have many old friends, mentors, and rivals in your house, and you may encounter one of them when you interact with a house business. The degree to which such acquaintances are willing to help you depends on your current standing in your house.

Description

House agents are diverse. Consider the house you serve and the work you do when choosing characteristics.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm always looking to improve efficiency.

2 | I love to share trivia about my house's business.

3 | I never forget an insult against me or my house.

4 | I'm enthusiastic about everything my house does.

5 | I represent my house and take pride in my looks.

6 | I'm critical of monarchies and limits on the houses.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Common Good. My house serves a vital function, and its prosperity will help everyone. (Good)

2 | Tradition. I uphold traditions of my house and bring honor to my family. (Lawful)

3 | Innovation. Abandon old traditions and find better ways to do things. (Chaotic)

4 | Power. I want to ensure the prosperity of my house and wield its power myself. (Evil)

5 | Discovery. I want to learn all I can, both for my house and for my own curiosity. (Any)

6 | Comfort. I want to ensure that me and mine enjoy the best things in life. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | My house is my family. I would do anything for it.

2 | I love someone from another house, but the relationship is forbidden.

3 | Someone I love was killed by a rival faction within my house, and I will have revenge.

4 | I don't care about the house as a whole, but I would do anything for my old mentor.

5 | My house must evolve, and I'll lead the evolution.

6 | I'm determined to impress the leaders of my house, and to become a leader myself.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I'm fixated on following official protocols.

2 | I'm obsessed with conspiracy theories and worried about secret societies and hidden demons.

3 | My house and bloodline make me the best!

4 | My secret could get me expelled from my house.

5 | My religious beliefs aren't widespread in my house.

6 | I'm working for a hidden faction in my house that gives me secret assignments.

Description

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: Survival, plus one from among Arcana, History, and Religion

• 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 you choose for this background's tool proficiency, and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 150

Description

Choose or randomly determine your inheritance from the possibilities 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.

d8 | Object or Item

1 | A document such as a map, a letter, or a journal

2-3 | A trinket (see "Trinkets" in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook)

4 | An article of clothing

5 | A piece of jewelry

6 | An arcane book or formulary

7 | A written story, song, poem, or secret

8 | A tattoo or other body marking

Description

Use the tables for the folk hero background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as an inheritor.

Your bond might be directly related to your inheritance, or to the person from whom you received it. Your ideal might be influenced by what you know about your inheritance, or by what you intend to do with your gift once you realize what it is capable of.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I judge people by their actions, not their words.

2 | If someone is in trouble, I'm always ready to lend help.

3 | When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way.

4 | I have a strong sense of fair play and always try to find the most equitable solution to arguments.

5 | I'm confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others.

6 | Thinking is for other people. I prefer action.

7 | I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter.

8 | I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny?

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. (Good)

2 | Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. (Lawful)

3 | Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people. (Chaotic)

4 | Might. If I become strong, I can take what I want - what I deserve. (Evil)

5 | Sincerity. There's no good in pretending to be something I'm not. (Neutral)

6 | Destiny. Nothing and no one can steer me away from my higher calling. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have a family, but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again.

2 | I worked the land, I love the land, and I will protect the land.

3 | A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.

4 | My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry them so that I will never forget my roots.

5 | I protect those who cannot protect themselves.

6 | I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed.

2 | I'm convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure.

3 | The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again.

4 | I have a weakness for the vices of the city, especially hard drink.

5 | Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land.

6 | I have trouble trusting in my allies.

Description

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.

• Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, 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 10 gp.

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 145

Description

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.

Description

Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a member of the city watch.

Your bond is likely associated with your fellow watch members or the watch organization itself and almost certainly concerns your community. Your ideal probably involves the fostering of peace and safety. An investigator is likely to have an ideal connected to achieving justice by successfully solving crimes.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm always polite and respectful.

2 | I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind.

3 | I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.

4 | I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.

5 | I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.

6 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.

7 | I have a crude sense of humor.

8 | I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)

2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)

3 | Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)

4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)

5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren't worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)

6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.

2 | Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.

3 | My honor is my life.

4 | I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.

5 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.

6 | I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.

2 | I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.

3 | I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.

4 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.

5 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.

6 | I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.

Description

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.

• Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Insight, Investigation, or Perception

• Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, thieves' tools

• Equipment: A magnifying glass, evidence from a past case (choose one or roll for a trinket from the Horror Trinkets table later in this chapter), a set of common clothes, and 10 gp

Source: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft p. 35

Description

Your first case influenced the types of mysteries you're interested in. Why was this case so impactful, personal, or traumatic? Whom did it affect besides you? Why and how did you get involved? Was it solved? How did it set you on the path to investigating other mysteries? Roll on or choose details from the First Case table to develop the mystery that started your career as an investigator.

d8 | Case

1 | A friend was wrongfully accused of murder. You tracked down the actual killer, proving your friend's innocence and starting your career as a detective.

2 | You're told you went missing for weeks. When you were found, you had no memory of being gone. Now you search to discover what happened to you.

3 | You helped a spirit find peace by finding its missing corpse. Ever since, other spectral clients have sought you out to help them find rest.

4 | You revealed that the monsters terrorizing your home were illusions created by a cruel mage. The magic-user escaped, but you've continued to uncover magical hoaxes.

5 | You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you suffered, even while still being pursued by the law.

6 | You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with them, tracking down dangerous supernatural phenomena and preventing them from doing harm.

7 | You found evidence of a conspiracy underpinning society. You tried to expose this mysterious cabal, but no one believed you. You're still trying to prove what you know is true.

8 | You got a job with an agency that investigates crimes that local law enforcement can't solve. You often wonder which you value more, the truth or your pay.

Description

You're experienced at gaining access to people and places to get the information you need. Through a combination of fast-talking, determination, and official-looking documentation, you can gain access to a place or an individual related to a crime you're investigating. Those who aren't involved in your investigation avoid impeding you or pass along your requests. Additionally, local law enforcement has firm opinions about you, viewing you as either a nuisance or one of their own.

Description

You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you. You are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life.

d12 | Personality Trait

1 | I had an encounter that I believe gives me a special affinity with a supernatural creature or event.

2 | A signature piece of clothing or distinct weapon serves as an emblem of who I am.

3 | I never accept that I'm out of my depth.

4 | I must know the answer to every secret. No door remains unopened in my presence.

5 | I let people underestimate me, revealing my full competency only to those close to me.

6 | I compulsively seek to collect trophies of my travels and victories.

7 | It doesn't matter if the whole world's against me. I'll always do what I think is right.

8 | I have morbid interests and a macabre aesthetic.

9 | I have a personal ritual, mantra, or relaxation method I use to deal with stress.

10 | Nothing is more important than life, and I never leave anyone in danger.

11 | I'm quick to jump to extreme solutions. Why risk a lesser option not working?

12 | I'm easily startled, but I'm not a coward.

d12 | Ideal

1 | Adrenaline. I've experienced such strangeness that now I feel alive only in extreme situations.

2 | Balance. I strive to counter the deeds of someone for whom I feel responsible.

3 | Bound. I've wronged someone and must work their will to avoid their curse.

4 | Escape. I believe there is something beyond the world I know, and I need to find it.

5 | Legacy. I must do something great so that I'm remembered, and my time is running out.

6 | Misdirection. I work vigorously to keep others from realizing my flaws or misdeeds.

7 | Obsession. I've lived this way for so long that I can't imagine another way.

8 | Obligation. I owe it to my people, faith, family, or teacher to continue a vaunted legacy.

9 | Promise. My life is no longer my own. I must fulfill the dream of someone who's gone.

10 | Revelation. I need to know what lies beyond the mysteries of death, the world, or the Mists.

11 | Sanctuary. I know the forces at work in the world and strive to create islands apart from them.

12 | Truth. I care about the truth above all else, even if it doesn't benefit anyone.

d12 | Bond

1 | I desperately need to get back to someone or someplace, but I lost them in the Mists.

2 | Everything I do is in the service of a powerful master, one I must keep a secret from everyone.

3 | I owe much to my vanished mentor. I seek to continue their work even as I search to find them.

4 | I've seen great darkness, and I'm committed to being a light against it—the light of all lights.

5 | Someone I love has become a monster, murderer, or other threat. It's up to me to redeem them.

6 | The world has been convinced of a terrible lie. It's up to me to reveal the truth.

7 | I deeply miss someone and am quick to adopt people who remind me of them.

8 | A great evil dwells within me. I will fight against it and the world's other evils for as long as I can.

9 | I'm desperately seeking a cure to an affliction or a curse, either for someone close to me for myself.

10 | Spirits are drawn to me. I do all I can to help them find peace.

11 | I use my cunning mind to solve mysteries and find justice for those who've been wronged.

12 | I lost someone I care about, but I still see them in guilty visions, recurring dreams, or as a spirit.

d12 | Flaw

1 | I believe doom follows me and that anyone who gets close to me will face a tragic end.

2 | I'm convinced something is after me, appearing in mirrors, dreams, and places where no one could.

3 | I'm especially superstitious and live life seeking to avoid bad luck, wicked spirits, or the Mists.

4 | I've done unspeakable evil and will do anything to prevent others from finding out.

5 | I am exceptionally credulous and believe any story or legend immediately.

6 | I'm a skeptic and don't believe in the power of rituals, religion, superstition, or spirits.

7 | I know my future is written and that anything I do will lead to a prophesied end.

8 | I need to find the best in everyone and everything, even when that means denying obvious malice.

9 | I've seen the evil of a type of place—like forests, cities, or graveyards—and resist going there.

10 | I'm exceptionally cautious, planning laboriously and devising countless contingencies.

11 | I have a reputation for defeating a great evil, but that's a lie and the wicked force knows.

12 | I know the ends always justify the means and am quick to make sacrifices to attain my goals.

Description

The Iron Route, once the primary trade route between Phlan and Zhentil Keep, used to be a site of extensive banditry until the Phlan's recent occupation. Your time as an erstwhile bandit has given you plenty of experience in the saddle and a knack for acquiring and appraising other people's mounts, pets, and vehicles among other things. This particular set of skills has become very lucrative for you by working for the underground as a horse thief for a local guild of thieves and other shadowy organizations.

• Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Stealth

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)

• Equipment: A set of dark common clothes, pack saddle, burglar's pack, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp

Source: Curse of Strahd: Optional Backgrounds p. 5

Description

You know how to find people who are always looking for stolen animals & vehicles, whether to provide for animal pit fights, or to supply some desperate rogues the means to get away faster on mounts during an illegal job. This contact not only provides you with information of what such animals & vehicles are in high demand in the area, but also offer to give you favors and information (DM choice) if you bring such animals & vehicles to them. [Note: This is a variant of the Criminal Contact feature.]

Description

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | If people leave their gear unsecured, they must not want it very much.

2 | I feel more comfortable sleeping under the open sky.

3 | I always pre-plan my escape should things go bad; I always like to have an exit strategy.

4 | I tend to give animal owners breeding and care advice whether or not they want it.

5 | I lost a pet as a child and sadly reflect on it to this day.

6 | I always form a powerful, emotional bond with my mount.

7 | I recoil at the thought of killing someone else's pet or mount.

8 | I prefer to hang to the back of a scuffle or discussion. Better to have my enemies in front of me.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Loyalty. Never bite the hand that feeds. (Good)

2 | Unpredictability. Keep your enemy guessing and off-balance like a confused deer. (Chaotic)

3 | Power. I strive to become leader of the pack at all costs. (Lawful)

4 | Freedom. I bow to no one I don't respect. (Chaotic)

5 | Resourcefulness. Our wits are our most valuable resource in troubled times. (Any)

6 | Unity. Lone wolves fail where the pack succeeds. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I cannot leave a harmed animal behind; I must save it or put it out of its misery.

2 | I leave behind my own personal calling cards when I do a job.

3 | I do not trust people who do not have a pet, mount, or furry companion.

4 | The pelt I wear on my back was from an animal that died saving my life, I will always cherish it.

5 | If my pet does not like you, I do not like you!

6 | Once you've ridden with me and fought by my side, I'll be there for you odds be damned.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I talk to animals; I believe they understand me, even if they do not.

2 | I growl at and bite anyone who gets too close to my food while I am eating.

3 | I strongly dislike enclosed spaces and require intoxication or firm encouragement to enter them.

4 | I robbed the wrong caravan once. The owner is a powerful merchant who holds a grudge.

5 | I'm an inveterate gambler.

6 | I judge people based on how well they stand their ground in a fight. I got not time for cowards...

Description

Armed with an inventive intellect, a love of magical technology, and an unquenchable energy, you are an enthusiastic participant in the research work of the Izzet League. Though you're likely to begin your career as a mere attendant, you can aspire to become a skilled mage or alchemist, a laboratory supervisor, or even a flamethrower-wielding scorchbringer tasked with defending Izzet laboratories. The Izzet are obsessive, brilliant, inspired, and an unpredictable force of chaos in Ravnica, and you epitomize all of those qualities.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Investigation

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: Choose one of Draconic, Goblin, or Vedalken

• Equipment: An Izzet insignia, one set of artisan's tools, the charred and twisted remains of a failed experiment, a hammer, a block and tackle, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp (Azorius 1-zino coins)

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 66

Description

The popular conception of the Izzet League is based on mad inventions, dangerous experiments, and explosive blasts. Much of that perception is accurate, but the league is also involved with mundane tasks of construction and architecture—primarily in crafting the infrastructure that allows Ravnicans to enjoy running water, levitating platforms, and other magical and technological wonders.

You have a basic knowledge of the structure of buildings, including the stuff behind the walls. You can also find blueprints of a specific building in order to learn the details of its construction. Such blueprints might provide knowledge of entry points, structural weaknesses, or secret spaces. Your access to such information isn't unlimited. If obtaining or using the information gets you in trouble with the law, the guild can't shield you from the repercussions.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Izzet Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — produce flame, shocking grasp

1st — chaos bolt, create or destroy water, unseen servant

2nd — heat metal, rope trick

3rd — call lightning, elemental weapon, glyph of warding

4th — conjure minor elementals, divination, Otiluke's resilient sphere

5th — animate objects, conjure elemental

Your spells tend to be loud, flashy, or explosive, even when the effect is unremarkable. For example, when you open the portal of a rope trick spell, the portal might be outlined by harmless, showy sparkles.

If you use an arcane focus, it probably takes the form of an intricate device that could include metal gauntlets, glass canisters, copper tubing, and leather straps attaching it to your body. The mizzium apparatus described in chapter 5 is a magical version of this gear.

The chaos bolt spell is a favorite of Izzet spellcasters because of its unpredictable nature.

Description

Members of the Izzet League embody some combination of chaotic, frenetic energy with intellectual curiosity, in varying proportions. Some are committed to academic pursuits, and others just like explosions.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I have a hard time staying focused on... oh, and my brain tends to jump from one... did I mention focus?

2 | I get really excited about my ideas and I can't wait to talk about them and start putting them into practice and tinkering with them and I want to tell you about how exciting it all is!

3 | It's not magic—or anything, really—if you do it only halfway. Whatever I do, I give it all I've got.

4 | I do what my gut tells me.

5 | Life's an experiment, and I can't wait to see what happens.

6 | I pepper my speech with the incomprehensible jargon of my trade, like mizzium droplets inserted into a weird-field suspension.

7 | Great ideas are fine, but great results are what counts.

8 | If you can guess what I'm about to do, that means I've run out of imagination.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Creativity. Half the world's troubles come from stodgy thinking, stuck in the past. We need innovative solutions. (Chaotic)

3 | Discovery. Every experiment has the potential to reveal more secrets of the multiverse. (Any)

4 | Science. A rigorous application of logical principles and protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful)

5 | Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there's nothing I'd rather do. (Chaotic)

6 | Power. Someday I'll find or create the magic that will make me the most powerful being in Ravnica. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have dedicated my life to finding a solution to a scientific problem.

2 | I'll never forget the laboratory where I learned my skills, or the other attendants who learned alongside me.

3 | I'm convinced it was sabotage that destroyed my first laboratory and killed many of my friends, and I seek revenge against whoever did it.

4 | I have the schematics for an invention that I hope to build one day, once I have the necessary resources.

5 | A fellow student and I are racing to solve the same scientific puzzle.

6 | I would do anything the guildmaster told me to do.

d6 | Flaw

1 | If there's a plan, I'll probably forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll probably ignore it.

2 | I get bored easily, and if nothing is happening I'll make something happen.

3 | Nothing is ever simple, and if it seems simple, I'll find a way to make it complicated.

4 | I tend to ignore sleep for days when I'm conducting research, often at the expense of my own health and safety.

5 | I'm convinced there's not a soul in Ravnica, except maybe the great Niv-Mizzet, who can match my boundless intellect.

6 | I'm incapable of admitting a flaw in my logic.

Description

The laboratories of the Izzet League are constantly starting up new projects and dissolving old ones, so it's easy for even the lowliest attendant to make friends (and enemies) in laboratories across Ravnica.

Roll twice on the Izzet Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Izzet Contacts table.

Izzet Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | An older relative is a member of the guild's board of directors.

2 | I know a sprite who carries important messages among the guild's laboratories.

3 | A sibling is the head of a laboratory doing exotic research.

4 | A former colleague is now an attendant in a laboratory in the central guildhall.

5 | I'm in regular communication with an instructor who set me on the course of my life and research.

6 | I had a romance with a chemister working in the Blistercoils.

7 | As an attendant, I had a fierce rivalry with another attendant for our supervisor's attention.

8 | The guildmaster, Niv-Mizzet, took note of one of my experiments!

Non-Izzet Contacts

d10 | Contact

1 | An Azorius inspector seems interested in my work.

2 | I was ready to join the Boros before I decided on Izzet, and I sometimes still hear from the sergeant who tried to recruit me.

3 | One of my former assistants turned out to be a Dimir spy. We're not on friendly terms anymore, but we have a habit of running into each other.

4 | A Golgari assassin killed a bitter rival of mine, leaving me with conflicted feelings.

5 | I helped a minor Gruul chieftain acquire an Izzet weapon.

6 | Roll an additional Izzet contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

7 | An Orzhov banker financed my laboratory's current work and expects great returns.

8 | I have a cousin in the Cult of Rakdos, and we get along quite well.

9 | A former attendant from the same laboratory ran off to join the Selesnya, and we get into a big argument every time we run into each other.

10 | I compare notes and techniques with a Simic scientist over lunch sometimes.

Description

Whatever your role in the Izzet League, you are expected to contribute to its research in some way. That contribution might involve participating in tests, whether as an assistant, a researcher, or a subject. You might be one of the soldiers who protects a laboratory, or a laborer responsible for lifting heavy pieces of equipment into place. Everyone's contribution matters, even if the Izzet know that some matter more than others.

Description

A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in most societies, but it can be a path to higher status. One of your commoner retainers is replaced by a noble who serves as your squire, aiding you in exchange for training on his or her own path to knighthood. Your two remaining retainers might include a groom to care for your horse and a servant who polishes your armor (and even helps you put it on).

As an emblem of chivalry and the ideals of courtly love, you might include among your equipment a banner or other token from a noble lord or lady to whom you have given your heart — in a chaste sort of devotion. (This person could be your bond.)

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion

• 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, a banner or other token from a noble lord or lady to whom you have given your heart — in a chaste sort of devotion, and a purse containing 25 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 135

Description

You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.

Description

Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds - responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family's care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.

2 | The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.

3 | No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.

4 | I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.

5 | I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.

6 | Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.

7 | My favor, once lost, is lost forever.

8 | If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)

2 | Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)

3 | Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)

4 | Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)

5 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)

6 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)

d6 | Bond

1 | I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.

2 | My house's alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.

3 | Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.

4 | I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.

5 | My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.

6 | The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.

2 | I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.

3 | I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I'm quick to anger.

4 | I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.

5 | In fact, the world does revolve around me.

6 | By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.

Description

You have trained to be a valorous warrior known as a Knight of Solamnia. Strict rules guide your every action, and you work to uphold them as you strive to defend the weak and oppose evil. Your honor is as important to you as your life.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: An insignia of rank, a deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen p. 30

Description

You gain the Squire of Solamnia feat.

In addition, the Knights of Solamnia provide you free, modest lodging and food at any of their fortresses or encampments.

Description

Any class that has martial prowess can be a good fit in the Knights of Solamnia. Fighters and paladins make up the bulk of the knighthood's forces. Clerics (often with the War domain) can also be found among the knights' ranks.

For a more unusual take on a Knight of Solamnia character, consider playing a bard of the College of Valor (or the College of Swords from Xanathar's Guide to Everything) or a barbarian devoted to the ideals of the nature god Habbakuk (perhaps adopting the Path of the Zealot from Xanathar's Guide to Everything).

Description

When you make your character, roll once on the Knight of Solamnia Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A flat silver disk you record your heroics upon

2 | A piece of a fallen knight's armor

3 | A pendant featuring a crown, a rose, or a sword

4 | The pommel of your mentor's sword

5 | A meaningful favor from someone you defended— perhaps a handkerchief or glove

6 | A locket with a sketch of a silver dragon inside

Description

You belong to an order of knights who have sworn oaths to achieve a certain goal. The nature of this goal depends on the order you serve, but in your eyes it is without question a vital and honorable endeavor. Faerûn has a wide variety of knightly orders, all of which have a similar outlook concerning their actions and responsibilities.

Though the term "knight" conjures ideas of mounted, heavily armored warriors of noble blood, most knightly orders in Faerûn don't restrict their membership to such individuals. The goals and philosophies of the order are more important than the gear and fighting style of its members, and so most of these orders aren't limited to fighting types, but are open to all sorts of folk who are willing to battle and die for the order's cause.

The "Knightly Orders of Faerûn" sidebar details several of the orders that are active at present and is designed to help inform your decision about which group you owe allegiance to.

• Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, plus one from among Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion, as appropriate for your order

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set or musical instrument

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, a signet, banner, or seal representing your place or rank in the order, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 151

Description

You receive shelter and succor from members of your knightly order and those who are sympathetic to its aims. If your order is a religious one, you can gain aid from temples and other religious communities of your deity. Knights of civic orders can get help from the community — whether a lone settlement or a great nation — that they serve, and knights of philosophical orders can find help from those they have aided in pursuit of their ideals, and those who share their ideals.

This help comes in the form of shelter and meals, and healing when appropriate, as well as occasionally risky assistance, such as a band of local citizens rallying to aid a sorely pressed knight, or those who support the order helping to smuggle a knight out of town when he or she is being hunted unjustly.

Description

Many who rightfully call themselves "knight" earn that title as part of an order in service to a deity, such as Kelemvor's Eternal Order or Mystra's Knights of the Mystic Fire. Other knightly orders serve a government, royal family, or are the elite military of a feudal state, such as the brutal Warlock Knights of Vaasa. Other knighthoods are secular and nongovernmental organizations of warriors who follow a particular philosophy, or consider themselves a kind of extended family, similar to an order of monks. Although there are organizations, such as the Knights of the Shield, that use the trappings of knighthood without necessarily being warriors, most folk of Faerûn who hear the word "knight" think of a mounted warrior in armor beholden to a code. Below are a few knightly organizations.

Knights of the Unicorn: The Knights of the Unicorn began as a fad of romantically minded sons and daughters of patriarch families in Baldur's Gate. On a lark, they took the unicorn goddess Lurue as their mascot and went on various adventures for fun. The reality of the dangers they faced eventually sank in, as did Lurue's tenets. Over time the small group grew and spread, gaining a following in places as far as Cormyr. The Knights of the Unicorn are chivalric adventurers who follow romantic ideals: life is to be relished and lived with laughter, quests should be taken on a dare, impossible dreams should be pursued for the sheer wonder of their completion, and everyone should be praised for their strengths and comforted in their weaknesses.

Knights of Myth Drannor: Long ago, the Knights of Myth Drannor were a famous adventuring band, and Dove Falcon hand, one of the famous Seven Sisters, was one of them. The band took its name to honor the great but fallen city, just as the new Knights of Myth Drannor do today. With the city once again in ruins, Dove Falconhand decided to reform the group with the primary goal of building alliances and friendship between the civilized races of the world and goodly people in order to combat evil. The Knights of Myth Drannor once again ride the roads of the Dalelands, and they've begun to spread to the lands beyond. Their members, each accepted by Dove herself, are above all valiant and honest.

Knights of the Silver Chalice: The Knights of the Silver Chalice was formed by edict of the demigod Siamorphe in Waterdeep a century ago. Siamorphe's ethos is the nobility's right and responsibility to rule, and the demigod is incarnated as a different noble mortal in each generation. By the decree of the Siamorphe at that time, the Knights of the Silver Chalice took it upon themselves to put a proper heir on the throne of Tethyr and reestablish order in that kingdom. Since then they have grown to be the most popular knighthood in Tethyr, a nation that has hosted many knighthoods in fealty to the crown.

Description

Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a knight of your order.

Your bond almost always involves the order to which you belong (or at least key members of it), and it is highly unusual for a knight's ideal not to reflect the agenda, sentiment, or philosophy of one's order.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm always polite and respectful.

2 | I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind.

3 | I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.

4 | I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.

5 | I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.

6 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.

7 | I have a crude sense of humor.

8 | I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)

2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)

3 | Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)

4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)

5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren't worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)

6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.

2 | Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.

3 | My honor is my life.

4 | I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.

5 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.

6 | I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.

2 | I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.

3 | I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.

4 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.

5 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.

6 | I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.

Description

You have spent your youth preparing to be a student of Lorehold College, reading every book on the college's recommended reading list for prospective students. Your academic passions are in the broad field of history. You might dream of using magic to contact great historical figures or your own ancestors or of recreating the mighty magic of a distant age.

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Religion

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a hammer, a hooded lantern, a tinderbox, a tome of history, a school uniform, and a pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos p. 31

Description

You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat and must choose Lorehold within it.

In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature, the spells on the Lorehold Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

1st — Comprehend Languages, Identify

2nd — Borrowed Knowledge, Locate Object

3rd — Speak with Dead, Spirit Guardians

4th — Arcane Eye, Stone Shape

5th — Flame Strike, Legend Lore

Consider customizing how your spells look when you cast them. Your Lorehold spells might create displays of golden light. You might use a tome or a scroll as a spellcasting focus, and your spell effects might reflect the appearance of the reference books you study.

Description

Any class or subclass that deals with knowledge of the past can be a good fit in Lorehold. Bards thrive in Lorehold, and wizards (particularly those of the School of Divination) are numerous among its students. Clerics (often with the Knowledge or Light domains) are also quite common.

For a more unusual take on a Lorehold student, you could consider playing a barbarian with a primal connection to the past (perhaps adopting the Path of the Ancestral Guardian from Xanathar's Guide to Everything) or a paladin whose Oath of the Ancients gives a concrete link to history.

Description

Methodical historians and daring adventurers alike can be found among the ranks of Lorehold college. The Lorehold Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits you might adopt for your character.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | I thrive on esoteric lore. The more obscure the historical references I can include in everyday conversation, the better.

2 | By searching for these lost artifacts, I hope to find who I really am along the way.

3 | I can barely go a minute without talking about my research. I have so much knowledge in my head, and it needs to be let out somewhere!

4 | The spirits of the dead are so much more interesting to talk with than living classmates.

5 | I can speak eloquently about the historical ramifications of an ancient war. But ask me to add two-digit numbers together, and I'm a mess.

6 | In the end, it's all just entropy. Everything falls apart someday.

Description

When you make your character, you may roll once on the Lorehold Trinkets table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook, for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A map made of concentric circles that can be rotated around the page

2 | A puzzle box bedecked with amber

3 | A dented brass compass with a red needle

4 | The head of a broken statue that houses the consciousness of a snarky sage

5 | A sheet of parchment embossed with tactile lettering, glowing red

6 | A broken dagger with a wavy blade and a serpentine hilt

Description

Every acolyte is a servant of some god. But you serve the Luxon, a being that you believe transcends godhood and created the cosmos. No mere priest, you are a student of potential, for the Luxon is potentiality incarnate. Your Shelter of the Faithful feature applies to all who venerate the Luxon, and to all who practice the art of dunamancy that the Luxon bestowed upon the world.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 203

Description

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, if you remain on good terms with it, 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.

Description

Acolytes are shaped by their experience in temples or other religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person's deeds and example.

2 | I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working toward peace.

3 | I see omens in every event and action. The gods try to speak to us, we just need to listen.

4 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude.

5 | I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation.

6 | I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) the worship of other gods.

7 | I've enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple's elite. Rough living grates on me.

8 | I've spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful)

2 | Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good)

3 | Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. (Chaotic)

4 | Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith's religious hierarchy. (Lawful)

5 | Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions. I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. (Lawful)

6 | Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god's favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago.

2 | I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic.

3 | I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died.

4 | Everything I do is for the common people.

5 | I will do anything to protect the temple where I served.

6 | I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.

2 | I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple's hierarchy.

3 | My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god.

4 | I am inflexible in my thinking.

5 | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them.

6 | Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life.

Description

You most likely came up through money or hailed from a family with social prestige if you were able to afford tuition at the Alabaster Lyceum in Emon. But whatever your origin, your interests and pursuits brought you to the hallowed halls of Tal'Dorei's highest place of learning, where you soaked in every lesson you could, hoping to better make your mark on the world. (Or at least you pretended to. Even at the Lyceum, every class has its slackers.) Eventually, though, the call to adventure pulled you from your studies, and you now face the challenge of keeping up with your education even as the tides of destiny threaten to sweep you away.

You might have come to the Lyceum to better research and understand the history and lore of Exandria and the lands you call home. Perhaps you sought a future here as a professor—or you might hope to do so still. You could also have been drawn by the promise of prosperity in politics, learning the inner workings of government and alliances to better position yourself as a future writer of history. Or perhaps your knack for the arcane inspired you to attend the Lyceum to refine your spellcraft, following in the footsteps of some of the finest wizards to ever practice the arts of magic.

When you choose this background, you could be either an active student seeking adventures for your own research, or a graduated alumnus. With a little modification, you could easily be a professor as well.

• Skill Proficiencies: Your choice of two of the following: Arcana, History, or Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: Two of your choice

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a student uniform, a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a penknife), and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting: Reborn p. 183

Description

You've cleared enough lessons—and have gained an ally or two among the staff—to enable access to certain private areas within the Lyceum and other allied universities. Whenever you're on Lyceum grounds or at another major academic institution, you can requisition any set of tools found in the fifth edition rules. Each set of tools is magically marked to sound an alarm if they are removed from the university's grounds.

When you seek services such as spellcasting from an NPC at the Alabaster Lyceum or a related institution, you can use those services at a 25 percent discount, at the GM's discretion.

Description

The Alabaster Lyceum accepts students of all major trades, the fine arts, and the magical arts. Pupils talented and privileged enough to be accepted travel to Emon from all over Tal'Dorei, seeking to study among some of the greatest minds and most talented arcanists in the land. If you came from a smaller city, a rural area, or Tal'Dorei's relatively uncharted wilderness, studying at the Lyceum might have left you with a sense of culture shock, for good or for ill.

Your bond is likely associated with your goals as a student or graduate. Your ideal probably involves your hopes in using the knowledge you've gained at the Lyceum, and your travels as an adventurer, to tailor the world to your liking.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I can't believe I'm here! At the Alabaster Lyceum. Oh, gods, I've dreamed of this my whole life, and now I'm here!

2 | I can't believe I squandered all the opportunities I had at school. I was supposed to be learning good stuff, but I wasted it all daydreaming about fighting monsters.

3 | Every night at school, I'd knock back a couple of meads and read with my pals! Just a bunch of nerds having fun, and I loved it.

4 | Everyone at school was such a stick in the mud. Dressing the same, listening to the same bards…ugh, it's sad. Just be yourself.

5 | I'm happiest when I've got my little party with me. At school, it was like we were a squad of heroes, slaying projects like monsters.

6 | I'd really rather you didn't bother me. Can't you see I'm studying here?

7 | I don't care. I just don't care about it all. The dates I had to memorize, the formulae I learned…I just want to run away and live!

8 I'm just…tired. All the time. Oh, adventuring, sure, that's fine, as long as I can find time to… nap…goodnight.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Preparedness. I can't go out into the world unless I know what I'm up against. Study first, act later. (Neutral)

2 | Stardom. Having a team is good and all, but you can't win a game of ball without the star charger, and you know that's me. (Evil)

3 | Individuality. The world keeps us down by trying to put us all into little boxes. I'm tired of living in my box, and I don't care what you think about it. (Chaotic)

4 | Purpose. I study because there are things I need to know. I'll find my place in the world, and I'll make the world better. (Good)

5 | Code of Conduct. The student code is there to benefit all students, you know. It's the same for laws! (Lawful)

6 | Recreation. All this studying crap wasn't worth anything if you weren't partying when you were done. Meet me down at the tavern, okay? (Chaotic)

d6 | Bond

1 | I came to the Lyceum with no one, but I fell in love with the city of Emon. I've finally found a place that feels like home!

2 | Most of my professors drove me to frustration, but there's one who was kind and wise. I know they'll always have my back.

3 | My family saved every copper piece to give me the opportunities I have now. I can't let them down.

4 | I came to the Lyceum with a childhood friend, but we've long been drifting apart.

5 | Discovery is the only thing that matters to me. The topic doesn't matter. Books keep me company on my loneliest days.

6 | The Lyceum is my life. I'd give up anything— everything—to protect it from harm.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The Lyceum taught me to never want to leave my room. The campus was so huge, and the crowds were so horrible.

2 | You think you're so great just because you've got muscles, and endurance, and…shut up! Read a book sometime!

3 | Huh? What? Sorry, I was thinking about a test I need to retake when I get back to school….

4 | I spent too much time studying. Now I don't have any friends.

5 | If you don't match my aesthetic, I'm not interested in you. We can work together, but we won't be friends. Got it?

6 | I'm always striving for perfection. I got top of my class, sure, but only with a 98 average. And that's. Not. Perfect.

Description

Your talent for magic came to the attention of the Mages of High Sorcery, an organization of spellcasters that study magic and prevent its misuse. You've trained among the Mages, but whether or not you'll face the dangerous tests required to become a true member of the group remains to be determined. Your passion for studying magic has likely already predisposed you toward one of the organization's three orders: the benevolent Order of the White Robes, the balance-pursuing Order of the Red Robes, or the ruthless Order of the Black Robes.

In the world of Krynn, many refer to the Mages of High Sorcery as the Wizards of High Sorcery. The organization accepts more than wizards, though, with sorcerers, warlocks, and other spellcasters included among their ranks.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: A bottle of colored ink, an ink pen, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen p. 31

Description

You gain the Initiate of High Sorcery feat.

In addition, the Mages of High Sorcery provide you with free, modest lodging and food indefinitely at any occupied Tower of High Sorcery and for one night at the home of an organization member.

Description

Mages of High Sorcery are typically sorcerers, warlocks, or wizards and might have any subclass. Spellcasters who gain their magic through devotion are less likely to be welcomed among the traditionalist mages. Nevertheless, the Mages of High Sorcery are shrewd, and they rarely let unique opportunities or individuals pass them by. Even members of martial classes who train in magic might find a rare place among the group's three orders.

Description

When you make your character, roll once on the Mage of High Sorcery Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | An unopened letter from your first teacher

2 | A broken wand made of black, red, or white wood

3 | A scroll bearing an incomprehensible formula

4 | A purposeless device covered in colored stones that can fold into various enigmatic shapes

5 | A pouch or spell book emblazoned with the triple moon symbol of the Mages of High Sorcery

6 | A lens through which you can see Krynn's invisible black moon, Nuitari

Description

You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky shores. You have launched midnight raids from swift ships whose names evoke terror in the hearts of your adversaries. The water is your second home, the rain your shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water, land)

• Equipment: A dagger that belonged to a fallen comrade, a folded flag emblazoned with the symbol of your ship or company, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Ghosts of Saltmarsh p. 31

Description

You can move twice the normal amount of time (up to 16 hours) each day before being subject to the effect of a forced march (see "Travel Pace" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook). Additionally, you can automatically find a safe route to land a boat on shore, provided such a route exists.

Description

Hardship in your past has forged you into an unstoppable living weapon. This hardship is essential to you and is at the heart of a personal philosophy or ethos that often guides your actions. You can roll on the following table to determine this hardship or choose one that best fits your character.

d6 | Hardship

1 | Nearly Drowned. You hid underwater to avoid detection by enemies and held your breath for an extremely long time. Just before you would have died, you had a revelation about your existence.

2 | Captured. You spent months enduring thirst, starvation, and torture at the hands of your enemy, but you never broke.

3 | Sacrifice. You enabled the escape of your fellow soldiers, but at great cost to yourself. Some of your past comrades may think you're dead.

4 | Juggernaut. No reasonable explanation can explain how you survived a particular battle. Every arrow and bolt missed you. You slew scores of enemies single-handedly and led your comrades to victory.

5 | Stowaway. For days, you hid in the bilge of an enemy ship, surviving on brackish water and foolhardy rats. At the right moment, you crept up to the deck and took over the ship on your own.

6 | Leave None Behind. You carried an injured marine for miles to avoid capture and death.

Description

Marines are looked up to by other soldiers and respected by their superiors. They are veteran warriors who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant, marines tend to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the companionship of like-minded individuals.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I speak rarely but mean every word I say.

2 | I laugh loudly and see the humor in stressful situations.

3 | I prefer to solve problems without violence, but I finish fights decisively.

4 | I enjoy being out in nature; poor weather never sours my mood.

5 | I am dependable.

6 | I am always working on some project or other.

7 | I become cantankerous and quiet in the rain.

8 | When the sea is within my sight, my mood is jovial and optimistic.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Teamwork. Success depends on cooperation and communication. (Good)

2 | Code. The marines' code provides a solution for every problem, and following it is imperative. (Lawful)

3 | Embracing. Life is messy. Throwing yourself into the worst of it is necessary to get the job done. (Chaotic)

4 | Might. The strong train so that they might rule those who are weak. (Evil)

5 | Bravery. To act when others quake in fear — this is the essence of the warrior. (Any)

6 | Perseverance. No injury or obstacle can turn me from my goal. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I face danger and evil to offset an unredeemable act in my past.

2 | I. Will. Finish. The. Job.

3 | I must set an example of hope for those who have given up.

4 | I'm searching for a fellow marine captured by an elusive enemy.

5 | Fear leads to tyranny, and both must be eradicated.

6 | My commander betrayed my unit, and I will have revenge.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I grow combative and unpredictable when I drink.

2 | I find civilian life difficult and struggle to say the right thing in social situations.

3 | My intensity can drive others away.

4 | I hold grudges and have difficulty forgiving others.

5 | I become irrational when innocent people are hurt.

6 | I sometimes stay up all night listening to the ghosts of my fallen enemies.

Description

As a former member of Saltmarsh's elite marine contingent. you are friends of Tom and Will Stoutly and can turn to them for help and support. Eliander Fireborn, captain of the guard. also makes time to listen to your concerns.

Description

As a sell-sword 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 Zhentarim or the soldiers of Mintarn, or a smaller band of sell-swords, maybe even more than one. (See the "Mercenaries of the North" sidebar for a collection of possibilities.)

Now you're looking for something else, perhaps greater reward for the risks you take, or the freedom to choose your own activities. 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.

• 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 (10 gp)

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 152

Description

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 who has hired them recently. You can find the taverns and festhalls 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 (see "Practicing a Profession" under "Downtime Activities" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook).

Description

Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a mercenary.

Your bond could be associated with the company you traveled with previously, or with some of the comrades you served with. The ideal you embrace largely depends on your worldview and your motivation for fighting.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm always polite and respectful.

2 | I'm haunted by memories of war. I can't get the images of violence out of my mind.

3 | I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.

4 | I'm full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation.

5 | I can stare down a hell hound without flinching.

6 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things.

7 | I have a crude sense of humor.

8 | I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good)

2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)

3 | Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)

4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)

5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren't worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)

6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.

2 | Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.

3 | My honor is my life.

4 | I'll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.

5 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.

6 | I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.

2 | I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.

3 | I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives, and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.

4 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.

5 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.

6 | I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong.

Description

Countless mercenary companies operate up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North. Most are smallscale operations that employ a dozen to a hundred folk who offer security services, hunt monsters and brigands, or go to war in exchange for gold. Some organizations, such as the Zhentarim, Flaming Fist, and the nation of Mintarn have hundreds or thousands of members and can provide private armies to those with enough funds. A few organizations operating in the North are described below.

The Chill: The cold and mysterious Lurkwood serves as the home of numerous groups of goblinoids that have banded together into one tribe called the Chill. Unlike most of their kind, the Chill refrains from raiding the people of the North and maintains relatively good relations so that they can hire themselves out as warriors. Few citystates in the North are willing to field an army alongside the Chill, but several are happy to quietly pay the Chill to battle the Uthgardt, orcs, trolls of the Evermoors, and other threats to civilization.

Silent Rain: Consisting solely of elves, Silent Rain is a legendary mercenary company operating out of Evereska. Caring little for gold or fame, Silent Rain agrees only to jobs that either promote elven causes or involve destroying orcs, gnolls, and the like. Prospective employers must leave written word (in Elvish) near Evereska, and the Silent Rain sends a representative if interested.

The Bloodaxes: Founded in Sundabar nearly two centuries ago, the Bloodaxes were originally a group of dwarves outcast from their clans for crimes against the teachings of Moradin Soulforger. They began hiring out as mercenaries to whoever in the North would pay them. Since then the mercenary company has broadened its membership to other races, but every member is an exile, criminal, or misfit of some sort looking for a fresh start and a new family among the bold Bloodaxes.

Description

From your hilltop home, you have looked down (literally and perhaps figuratively) on the unwashed masses of Mulmaster for your entire life. Your fur-trimmed robes and training in the visual and performing arts mark you as wealthy and perhaps well-born; you are a member of the City of Danger's aristocracy.

None of your immediate family members sits on the Council of Blades or is even a Zor or Zora...yet. Nevertheless, you are one of Mulmaster's elite, and whether you personally covet a higher standing or not, you are at home in the dance halls where the aristocracy gathers to plot, to scheme, to do business, to discuss the arts, and, above all, to see, and to be seen.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Performance

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artistic artisan's tools and one musical instrument

• Equipment: One set of artisan's tools or musical instrument, a set of fine clothes, and a purse containing 10 gp.

Source: Mulmaster Bonds and Backgrounds p. 5

Description

Mulmaster is run by and for its aristocracy. Every other class of citizen in the city defers to you, and even the priesthood, Soldiery, Hawks, and Cloaks treat you with deference. Other aristocrats and nobles accept you in their circles and likely know you or of you. Your connections can get you the ear of a Zor or Zora under the right circumstances. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Noble feature.]

Description

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My ambitions are boundless. I will be a Zor or Zora one day!

2 | I must always look my best.

3 | Beauty is everywhere. I can find it in even the homeliest person and the most horrible tragedy.

4 | Decorum must be preserved at all costs.

5 | I will not admit I am wrong if I can avoid it.

6 | I am extremely well-educated and frequently remind others of that fact.

7 | I take what I can today, because I do not know what tomorrow holds.

8 | My life is full of dance, song, drink, and love.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Generous. I have a responsibility to help and protect the less fortunate. (Good)

2 | Loyal. My word, once given, is my bond. (Lawful)

3 | Callous. I am unconcerned with any negative effects my actions may have on the lives and fortunes of others. (Evil)

4 | Impulsive. I follow my heart. (Chaotic)

5 | Ignorant. Explanations bore me. (Neutral)

6 | Isolationist. I am concerned with the fortunes of my friends and family. Others must see to themselves. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have dedicated my wealth and my talents to the service of one of the city's many temples.

2 | My family and I are loyal supporters of High Blade Jaseen Drakehorn. Our fortunes are inexorably tied to hers. I would do anything to support her.

3 | Like many families who were close to High Blade Selfaril Uoumdolphin, mine has suffered greatly since his fall. We honor his memory in secret.

4 | My family plotted with Rassendyll Uoumdolphin brother usurped brother as High Blade. Betrayal is the quickest route to power.

5 | Wealth and power are nothing. Fulfillment can only be found in artistic expression.

6 | It's not how you feel, who you know, or what you can do — it's how you look, and I look fabulous.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I have difficulty caring about anyone or anything other than myself.

2 | Having grown up with wealth, I am careless with my finances. I overspend and am overly generous.

3 | The ends (my advancement) justify any means.

4 | I must have what I want and will brook no delay.

5 | My family has lost everything. I must keep up appearances, lest we become a laughingstock.

6 | I have no artistic sense. I hide that fact behind extreme opinions and have become a trendsetter.

Description

Most criminals in Wildemount are petty thieves and cutpurses who operate out of desperation. You, however, are a criminal of a higher caliber. You are a member of the Myriad, the greatest crime syndicate to ever grace the face of Exandria. You have a network of criminal contacts and allies to help you in your crimes-but you also have rivals and superiors that would gladly throw you to the wolves to save their own skins.

• 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 15 gp

Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 203

Description

There are many kinds of criminals, and within a thieves' guild or similar criminal organization, individual members have particular specialties. Even criminals who operate outside of such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below.

d8 | Specialty

1 | Blackmailer

2 | Burglar

3 | Enforcer

4 | Fence

5 | Highway robber

6 | Hired killer

7 | Pickpocket

8 | Smuggler

Description

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.

Description

Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong.

2 | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.

3 | The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden.

4 | I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.

5 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.

6 | I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds.

7 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it.

8 | I blow up at the slightest insult.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Honor. I don't steal from others in the trade. (Lawful)

2 | Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic)

3 | Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good)

4 | Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil)

5 | 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)

6 | Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone. (Good)

d6 | Bond

1 | I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.

2 | My ill-gotten gains go to support my family.

3 | Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.

4 | I will become the greatest thief that ever lived.

5 | I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it.

6 | Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.

d6 | Flaw

1 | When I see something valuable, I can't think about anything but how to steal it.

2 | When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money.

3 | If there's a plan, I'll forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll ignore it.

4 | I have a "tell" that reveals when I'm lying.

5 | I turn tail and run when things look bad.

6 | An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I'm okay with that.

Description

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

• 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 25 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 135

Description

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 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.

Description

You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.

Description

Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds - responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family's care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.

2 | The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.

3 | No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.

4 | I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.

5 | I don't like to get my hands dirty, and I won't be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.

6 | Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.

7 | My favor, once lost, is lost forever.

8 | If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)

2 | Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)

3 | Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)

4 | Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)

5 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)

6 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)

d6 | Bond

1 | I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.

2 | My house's alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.

3 | Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.

4 | I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.

5 | My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.

6 | The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.

2 | I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.

3 | I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I'm quick to anger.

4 | I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.

5 | In fact, the world does revolve around me.

6 | By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.

Description

The prospect of immense wealth is the promise of membership in the Orzhov Syndicate. All of the guild's endeavors channel wealth from Ravnican society into the ranks of the Orzhov—and concentrates the spoils at the top of the hierarchy. As a functionary in that system, your best hope is to claim as much as possible of the money that passes through your hands on its way up, so that you can work your way into a more prominent position.

Regardless of your past and the wealth of your family, your initial status with the guild is near the bottom, until you have proven your value.

• Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Religion

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: An Orzhov insignia, a foot-long chain made of ten gold coins, vestments, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 1 pp (an Orzhov-minted 10-zino coin)

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 72

Description

You can exert leverage over one or more individuals below you in the guild's hierarchy and demand their help as needs warrant. For example, you can have a message carried across a neighborhood, procure a short carriage ride without paying, or have others clean up a bloody mess you left in an alley. The DM decides if your demands are reasonable and if there are subordinates available to fulfill them. As your status in the guild improves, you gain influence over more people, including ones in greater positions of power.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Orzhov Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — friends, guidance

1st — command, illusory script

2nd — enthrall, ray of enfeeblement, zone of truth

3rd — bestow curse, speak with dead, spirit guardians

4th — blight, death ward, Leomund's secret chest

5th — geas

Your magic tends to manifest as swirling shadows, brilliant light, or sometimes the momentary appearance of shadowy spirit forms. Your spells might draw the blood of your enemies, or even directly touch their souls.

Description

Members of the Orzhov Syndicate range from the decadent nobility at the top of the oligarchy to the debt-ridden wretches at the bottom. You fall somewhere between those extremes, so you might behave with the arrogance of the very rich or the humility of the impoverished.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I am always willing to act in accordance with the financial incentive offered.

2 | Debts are never meant to be forgiven.

3 | I am accustomed to enjoying the finest pleasures money can buy.

4 | No one could doubt that I am a cut above the masses of pitiful peasants that infest the city.

5 | I can't stand to spend a zib more than necessary to purchase what I need.

6 | I hate it when people try to make light of a serious situation.

7 | I want to make sure everyone is aware of how wealthy, powerful, and important I am.

8 | I can't think of anything to look forward to.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Wealth. I will do whatever it takes to become as rich as the oligarchs. (Evil)

3 | Power. One day, I will be the one giving orders. (Evil)

4 | Prestige. I want to be admired, respected, feared, or even hated for my position and wealth. (Evil)

5 | Stability. The economy functions best when chaos is kept under control and everyone knows their place. (Lawful)

6 | Eternity. I want to live forever—in the flesh as long as possible, and as a spirit afterward. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | The unbearable weight of my debt has driven me to desperation.

2 | I'm duty-bound to obey the dictates of an ancestor on the Ghost Council.

3 | I value my worldly goods more highly than my mortal life.

4 | An oligarch publicly humiliated me, and I will exact revenge on that whole family.

5 | My faith in the Obzedat never wavers.

6 | I want to prove myself more worthy than an older sibling and thereby ensure that I inherit a greater share of my parents' wealth.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I hold a scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever—but could also earn me the favor of the Ghost Council.

2 | I'm convinced that everyone I know is plotting against me.

3 | I'll brave any risk if the monetary reward is great enough.

4 | I am convinced that I am far more important than anyone else is willing to acknowledge.

5 | I have little respect for anyone who isn't wealthy.

6 | I'll take any opportunity to steal from wealthier people, even for worthless trinkets.

Description

The Orzhov Syndicate operates according to a stri ct hie rarchy built on a network of connections among old, w ealthy famil ies. Your family might provide important contacts, while your family's activities in crime, banking, or debt collection could tie you to members of other guilds.

Roll twice on the Orzhov Contacts table (fo r an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Orzhov Contacts table.

Orzhov Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | The spirit of an ancestor has taken an interest in me.

2 | An older cousin has the ear of a powerful oligarch.

3 | I know a knight who is responsible for collecting debts from powerful people.

4 | A vam pire pon tiff tried to use me as a pawn in past schemes.

5 | A s ilent spirit follows me around.

6 | A sibling has keys to parts ofVizkopa Bank.

7 | A giant thinks I'm adorable.

8 | I regularly offer tribute to an angel, and the angel has been kind to me in turn.

Non-Orzhov Contact

d10 | Contact

1 | An Azor ius arrester is always snooping in to my family's business transactions.

2 | A Boros paladin saved my life, to my everlasting shame.

3 | I know a shopkeeper who is secretly a Dimir agent and tries to make sure that I keep that secret hidden.

4 | I'm fascinated by the culture of the Golgari kraul, and I have formed a friendship with one of their death priests.

5 | A Gruul druid hates me but would never dare to touch me.

6 | I know an Izzet engineer who is desperate to pay off a debt accrued by a deceased relative.

7 | Roll an additional Orzhov contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

8 | My childhood friend is now a Rakdos torturer. We still meet for drinks occasionally.

9 | I have the key to a vault where a Selesnya druid is hiding an item of secret shame.

10 | I was married to a Simic bioengineer.

Description

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, an explorer, a recluse, a hunter-gatherer, or even a marauder. Even in places where you don't know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival

• 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 10 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 136

Description

You've been to strange places and seen things that others cannot begin to fathom. Consider some of the distant lands you have visited, and how they impacted you. You can roll on the following table to determine your occupation during your time in the wild, or choose one that best fits your character.

d10 | Origin

1 | Forester

2 | Trapper

3 | Homesteader

4 | Guide

5 | Exile or outcast

6 | Bounty hunter

7 | Pilgrim

8 | Tribal nomad

9 | Hunter-gatherer

10 | Tribal marauder

Description

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.

Description

Often considered rude and uncouth among civilized folk, outlanders have little respect for the niceties of life in the cities. The ties of tribe, clan, family, and the natural world of which they are a part are the most important bonds to most outlanders.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home.

2 | I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups.

3 | I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn to my clan of an approaching orc horde. I'd do it again if I had to.

4 | I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.

5 | I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won't save you from a hungry owlbear.

6 | I'm always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them.

7 | I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.

8 | I was, in fact, raised by wolves.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)

2 | Greater Good. It is each person's responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good)

3 | Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful)

4 | Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil)

5 | Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral)

6 | Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.

2 | An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.

3 | I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.

4 | I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend.

5 | I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.

6 | It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.

2 | There's no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.

3 | I remember every insult I've received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who's ever wronged me.

4 | I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies.

5 | Violence is my answer to almost any challenge.

6 | 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.

Description

The taking of Phlan by Vorgansharax is a clear memory in your mind. You were going about your everyday business when the green dragon's forces spilled out of the sewers and assailed your home. Many of Phlan's citizens, young and old alike, were captured, killed, or offered as tribute to the Maimed Virulence. You, yourself were one of those captured. But, either with the help of adventurers or through your own wits and sheer determination, you escaped.

Rather than flee the region, you've chosen to stay and fight. Finding refuge outside the town and the deadly thicket surrounding it, you strike out against the Tears of the Virulence and their monstrous allies. You've learned to survive in dire and desperate circumstances, with supplies running low and the arrival of reinforcements uncertain. You've grown accustomed to acting under the cover of night, dealing what blows you can to avenge the friends and family you lost within the currently occupied Phlan. You will drive Vorgansharax out, or you die trying.

• Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land)

• Equipment: A bag of caltrops (20), a small trinket that connects you to the life you once had before the occupation of Phlan, a healer's kit, a set of dark common clothes that includes a cloak and hood, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp.

Source: Curse of Strahd: Optional Backgrounds p. 6

Description

Removed from your life as a townsperson, you've adapted to rough life in the wilds surrounding Phlan. The trade you practiced still influences your outlook, the manner in which you approach situations, and the way you contribute to the resistance movement against the Maimed Virulence. You can roll on the following table to determine what your occupation was before the fall, or choose one that best fits your character (select from either the general column or the specific column, but not both).

d8 | Origin (General) | Origin (Specific)

1 | Fisher | Stojanow river worker

2 | Hunter | Twilight Marsh worker

3 | Craftsperson | Mantor's Library scribe

4 | Priest/Priestess | Clergy of Ilmater

5 | Cook | Laughing Goblin server

6 | City Watch | Black Fist guard

7 | Servant | House Sokol retainer

8 | Unskilled laborer | Bay of Phlan dockworker

Description

You've come to know the surrounding forests, streams, caves, and other natural features in which you can take refuge — or set up ambushes. You can quickly survey your environment for advantageous features. Additionally, you can scavenge around your natural surroundings to cobble together simple supplies (such as improvised torches, rope, patches of fabric, etc.) that are consumed after use. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Outlander feature.]

Description

You have given up the life you knew as a citizen of Phlan. However, the Maimed Virulence's invasion resonates deep inside you. Perhaps you have a few friends or family members who were able to escape with you. Or, perhaps, everyone you held dear either perished or went missing during the fall. You may know of someone who is, against all odds, surviving within the thicket and you long to liberate them from a life of peril within the town.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My patience knows no bounds, so long as my goal is in sight.

2 | In life and in struggle, the ends justify my actions.

3 | If you aren't helping me, you'd best at least stay out of my way.

4 | I long for the life that was taken away from me.

5 | Friends and family perished, tragically, before my eyes. I hope never to undergo that again.

6 | Making the right choices in life are important to me. The choices I make might save not just my life, but the lives of others as well.

7 | I can never allow my foes to get the drop on me.

8 | Time is a precious resource that I must spend wisely.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Leadership. The oppressed need someone to inspire them to courageous acts. (Good)

2 | Unpredictability. Keeping the enemy guessing and off-balance is my tactical strength. (Chaos)

3 | Determination. Threats to my home must be eliminated at all costs. (Any)

4 | Freedom. Those who are enslaved and unjustly imprisoned deserve my aid. (Good)

5 | Resourcefulness. Our wits are our most valuable resource in troubled times. (Any)

6 | Unity. Working together, we can overcome all obstacles, even the most seemingly insurmountable ones. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I'll never let my fellow insurgents down. They are my only remaining friends.

2 | I was separated from a loved one during my escape from town. I will find them.

3 | One of the Tears of the Virulence was a trusted friend, until the day they betrayed the city. They will pay harshly for their transgressions.

4 | An item I hold close is my last remaining connection to the family I lost during the fall.

5 | The dragon who took my past life away from me will feel the full extent of my vengeance.

6 | The knowledge in Mantor's Library is an irreplaceable treasure that must be protected.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I have no respect for those who flee. I harbor a deep grudge against the citizens who abandoned Phlan.

2 | Ale is the only way I can escape the desperation of my circumstances.

3 | It doesn't take much to get me into a fight.

4 | Being an insurgent means doing things that aren't always ethical. I'm still learning to live with that.

5 | My desire to liberate Phlan oftentimes clouds my judgment, despite my best efforts.

6 | I relentlessly despise the Maimed Virulence and his allies. I'd abandon other goals in order to strike out at them.

Description

Gone are the happier days of walking into the Laughing Goblin Inn after a hard day's labor. Everything has changed, and you are lucky to be alive. Back in Phlan you could count yourself among those street-wise folks who knew when to pay a bribe and who to work with to make a living. Your ability to listen to the winds of change have saved you before, and this time they allowed you to be one of the lucky few who escaped Phlan with something more than just the shirt on your back.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Athletics

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a token of the life you once knew, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Mulmaster Bonds and Backgrounds p. 6

Description

Whatever your prior standing was, you are now one of the many refugees that have come to Mulmaster. You are able to find refuge with others from Phlan and those who sympathize with your plight. Within Mulmaster this means that you can find a place to bed down, recover, and hide from the watch with either other refugees from Phlan, or the Zhents within the ghettos. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Folk Hero feature.]

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I may have lost everything I worked for most of my life, but there's work to be done, no time to linger on the past.

2 | I worked hard to get where I am and I refuse to let a little hardship stop me from succeeding.

3 | I protect those around me, you never know when one of them will be useful.

4 | I have always gotten ahead by giving, why change now?

5 | I prepare for everything, it paid off in Phlan and it will pay off again.

6 | I will reclaim my home, though the path may be long, I will never give up hope.

7 | I never cared for personal hygiene, and am amazed that It bothers others.

8 | I am always willing to volunteer my services, just as long as I don't have to do anything.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Justice. Corruption brought Phlan down, I will not tolerate that any longer. (Lawful)

2 | Acceptance. Stability is a myth, to think you can control your future is futile. (Chaotic)

3 | Hope. I am guided by a higher power and I trust that everything will be right in the end. (Good)

4 | Restraint. I hate those who caused my loss. It is all I can do not to lash out at them. (Any)

5 | Strength. As shown in Phlan, the strong survive. If you are weak you deserve what you get. (Evil)

6 | Openness. I am always willing to share my life story with anyone who will listen. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have the chance at a new life and this time I am going to do things right.

2 | The Lord Regent brought this suffering upon his people. I will see him brought to justice.

3 | I await the day I will be able to return to my home in Phlan.

4 | I will never forget the debt owed to Glevith of the Welcomers. I will be ready to repay that debt when called upon.

5 | There was someone I cared about in Phlan, I will find out what happened to them.

6 | Some say my life wasn't worth saving, I will prove them wrong.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I used the lives of children to facilitate my escape from Phlan.

2 | I am a sucker for the underdog, and always bet on the loosing team.

3 | I am incapable of standing up for myself.

4 | I will borrow money from friends with no intention to repay it.

5 | I am unable to keep secrets. A secret is just an untold story.

6 | When something goes wrong, it's never my fault.

Description

You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You've indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you've garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.

• Skill Proficiencies: 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 (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 139

Description

If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship's Passage.

No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

Description

Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what.

2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done.

3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.

4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.

5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.

6 | I never pass up a friendly wager.

7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.

8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good)

2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful)

3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom - the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic)

4 | Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil)

5 | People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral)

6 | Aspiration. Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.

2 | The ship is most important - crewmates and captains come and go.

3 | I'll always remember my first ship.

4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.

5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due.

6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.

2 | I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.

3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.

4 | Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop.

5 | I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.

6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction.

Description

Sure, accidents happen. But they seem to happen an awful lot when Acquisitions Incorporated operatives are on the scene. Naturally, nothing ever happens when there are no witnesses left behind. But sometimes one casualty is left a little less than dead, just waiting to discover what a lucky break that accident actually was.

You were a victim of a legal incident that was ostensibly the fault of Acquisitions Incorporated. At least that's what the local magistrate said. But before a final ruling could be handed down, Acquisitions Incorporated offered you a job! Don't know how to swing a sword? They promised to teach you! Think you have what it takes to sling spells? They've got masters who'll have you throwing fire in no time!

With the promise of untold treasures and realms of magic and mystery just a dungeon away, you left your old life behind. Now a world of adventure is yours. Just initial here and sign here and here. Absolve Acq Inc of all former claims, and acknowledge you understand past outcomes don't guarantee future results.

• Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: Any one of your choice

• Equipment: One set of artisan's tools, fine clothes, 20 gp

Source: Acquisitions Incorporated p. 50

Description

Your experience with your local legal system has given you a firm knowledge of the ins and outs of that system. Even when the law is not on your side, you can use complex terms like ex injuria jus non oritur and cogitationis poenam nemo patitur to frighten people into thinking you know what you're talking about. With common folks who don't know any better, you might be able to intimidate or deceive to get favors or special treatment.

Description

Plaintiffs come in many varieties. Some are innocent bystanders who want only fair compensation for their injuries. Others are professional courtroom operatives, going to extreme lengths to appear wronged in pursuit of a large payout.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I can't believe I have a chance to join Acquisitions Incorporated! The fun I'm going to have!

2 | I've been wronged my entire life, and the world owes me.

3 | I have always tried to make the best of a bad situation.

4 | The law doesn't protect the honest and the hard working. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done to make things right.

5 | I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

6 | My superiors are smarter and wiser than I am. I do what I'm told.

7 | Never pass up the opportunity to make an easy bit of coin. That's my motto.

8 | I'm beginning to feel like the gods are not on my side.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Justice. Those who break the law need to answer for their crimes. (Lawful)

2 | Freedom. People must have the freedom to do what they want and pursue their dreams. (Chaotic)

3 | Greed. Everyone I see is getting theirs, so I'm surely going to get mine. (Evil)

4 | Chaos. You're out of order! And you're out of order! This whole realm is out of order! (Chaotic)

5 | Humility. I'm just a small part of a larger whole. So is everyone else. (Neutral)

6 | Responsibility. We all have our roles to play. I'll hold up my end of the bargain. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | Others hurt in the same accident that hurt me are my new family. I'll make sure they're taken care of.

2 | The rulers of this place were kind to me, and they have my lifelong devotion.

3 | My parents worry about me, but I'll make them proud.

4 | The only bond that matters is the one holding my money pouch to my belt.

5 | The other new hires at Acquisitions Incorporated are my allies. We have each other's backs.

6 | My legal counsel is my best friend. I owe all my forthcoming opportunities to their hard work.

d6 | Flaw

1 | The person who gains the most reward for the least effort wins.

2 | Three magic beans for just one cow? What a deal!

3 | I have only one vice, but it controls my life.

4 | Sleep is for the weak. We need to keep training more if we're going to be ready for the challenges ahead.

5 | Until my songs are sung in every tavern in this realm, I won't be satisfied.

6 | If people find me unpleasant, that's their problem.

Description

You subscribe to a philosophy that seeks to understand the nature of the planes or some hidden truth of the multiverse. You draw strength from your conviction and, perhaps, a network of like-minded thinkers, such as the factions of Sigil (summarized below). In your travels, you explore the depths of your understanding and spread your philosophy wherever you go.

Some groups of planar philosophers might prefer certain types of characters, but by and large any character who upholds and furthers the beliefs of such a group is welcome within its ranks.

Faction | Skill

Athar | Religion

Bleak Cabal | Insight

Doomguard | Nature

Fated | Intimidation

Fraternity of Order | History

Hands of Havoc | Stealth

Harmonium | Perception

Heralds of Dust | Medicine

Mercykillers | Survival

Mind's Eye | Persuasion

Society of Sensation | Performance

Transcendent Order | Athletics

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, the skill associated with your faction (see the Sigil Faction Affinities table) or one skill of your choice

• Languages: Two of your choice

• Equipment: A portal key (such as a bag of golden tea leaves or the tooth of a planar beast), a manifesto of your guiding philosophy, a set of common clothes in your faction's style, and a pouch containing 10 gp worth of coins from different worlds and planes

Source: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse - Sigil and the Outlands p. 8

Description

Twelve factions have risen to prominence in the City of Doors, though many more exist. Your character might belong to one of these groups or another ideological faction, perhaps one of your own creation.

The primary factions of Sigil, which are further detailed in chapter 2, adhere to the following philosophies:

Athar. Deities are frauds and merely channel the might of a true, higher power.

Bleak Cabal. There is no greater truth to the multiverse. Each being must discover their own meaning.

Doomguard. Nothing lasts forever. The purpose of everything is to crumble and decay.

Fated. Everyone makes their own fate and is entitled to whatever they can take and hold.

Fraternity of Order. All of existence is governed by laws, and power comes from understanding and exploiting them.

Hands of Havoc. Those who try to impose a single order on the multiverse are doomed to fail.

Harmonium. The multiverse will be perfect only when everything is acting in harmony, whether it wants to or not.

Heralds of Dust. Everyone is already dead; the entirety of the multiverse is an afterlife. Undeath holds the key to the next stage of existence.

Mercykillers. Cold, relentless justice is absolute, and no one is above it.

Mind's Eye. The multiverse exists to be explored. It shapes us, and we shape it in turn.

Society of Sensation. Sensation is the proof of existence. By experiencing everything, we can understand the multiverse in all its complexity.

Transcendent Order. Thought clouds action. To fall in step with the multiverse, one must act on instinct alone.

Description

You gain the Scion of the Outer Planes feat. In addition, members of your organization provide you free, modest lodging and food at any of their holdings or the homes of other faction members.

Description

Adventurers who dedicate themselves to a particular philosophy regarding the multiverse are welcomed among factions that embrace those beliefs. The Planar Philosopher Personality Traits table suggests various traits you might adopt for your character.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | I don't venerate any gods. With time, we can be as powerful as them or greater.

2 | Experience is everything; live in the moment.

3 | When things crumble, I find meaning in the dust.

4 | Life thrives through order, and I seek to maintain that order.

5 | When others make plans, the multiverse laughs and so do I.

6 | I know what's right, and none will stand in my way.

Description

You are an artist, and you have been preparing to hone your craft according to the traditions of Prismari College. Whatever your medium—sculpture, dance, paint, music, drama, architecture, or any other field—you have grand visions of bringing your art to life in a fusion of magic and creativity.

• Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument or artisan's tools

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a set of artisan's tools or a musical instrument (one of your choice), a school uniform, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos p. 32

Description

You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat and must choose Prismari within it.

In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature, the spells on the Prismari Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

1st — Chromatic Orb, Thunderwave

2nd — Flaming Sphere, Kinetic Jaunt

3rd — Haste, Water Walk

4th — Freedom of Movement, Wall of Fire

5th — Cone of Cold, Conjure Elemental

Consider customizing how your spells look when you cast them. You might wield your Prismari spells with dynamic, gestural movement—as much dance as somatic component. Even a blast of fire in your hands is a sculpted work of art; elemental forces make grand designs as you hurl spells. These forces might linger on your body or in your clothes as decorative elements after your spells are dissipated, as sparks dance in your hair and your touch leaves tracings of frost on whatever you touch.

Description

Any class or subclass that wields elemental forces of cold, fire, lightning, and wind can be a good fit in Prismari. Druids and sorcerers are common in Prismari, and wizards who study the Schools of Evocation or Transmutation are also well represented. Clerics aren't very common in this school, but some with the Tempest domain end up here.

Beyond the ranks of traditional spellcasters, Prismari students also include monks who follow the Way of the Four Elements. Some acrobatic rogues and fighters (including those who emulate the archetype of the Eldritch Knight) also delight in the athleticism of Prismari performance.

Description

Though the curriculum of Prismari College attracts many outgoing and driven artists, the school has no shortage of shy scholars and lackadaisical blowhards among its ranks. The Prismari Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits you might adopt for your character.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | I'm the life of the party, and I expect everyone's attention when I walk into a room.

2 | Two weeks ago, I was enthralled with my latest project. Now, I think it's garbage and deserves to be destroyed.

3 | I believe everyone has the ability to express their truest selves through art, and I'm happy to quietly push them in the right direction.

4 | Everyone is a critic, and I work to win them all over.

5 | I'm beset with such an overwhelming sense of ennui regarding my art. Nothing quite captures my attention anymore.

6 | Instead of confronting my negative emotions, I channel them into explosive artistic displays.

Description

When you make your character, you may roll once on the Prismari Trinkets table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook, for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A pair of rose-tinted glasses with glittery frames

2 | A stoppered glass bottle that, when opened, plays a brassy orchestral piece

3 | A quartet of hovering water motes in a vial

4 | A bandolier of watercolor paints

5 | A tiara capped with a crystal that crackles with harmless lightning

6 | An iridescent quill

Description

In preparation to become a student of Quandrix College, you have spent years working through the college's math problems for prospective students. Your interests concentrate on the mathematical principles and patterns found in the natural world. You might lean more toward mathematics or physics, or you delve into more abstract studies of metaphysics, arcana, or logic.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Nature

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, an abacus, a book of arcane theory, a school uniform, and a pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos p. 33

Description

You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat and must choose Quandrix within it.

In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature, the spells on the Quandrix Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

1st — Entangle, Guiding Bolt

2nd — Enlarge/Reduce, Vortex Warp

3rd — Aura of Vitality, Haste

4th — Control Water, Freedom of Movement

5th — Circle of Power, Passwall

Consider customizing how your spells look when you cast them. Your Quandrix spells might manifest amid kaleidoscopic swirls of fractal patterns, amplifying the tiniest movements of your somatic components. When your magic creates or alters creatures, it might briefly surround the targets with shimmering fractal designs or tessellated patterns.

Description

Any spellcasting class or subclass can work well for a Quandrix character. Both the scholarly focus of wizards (especially those who study the Schools of Abjuration, Illusion, or Transmutation) and the metamagic manipulations of sorcerers are welcome in Quandrix, and many druids explore the patterns of nature in Quandrix as well. A few clerics, particularly those with the Knowledge or Nature domains, study in Quandrix as well.

Aside from traditional spellcasters, a few characters of other classes find homes in Quandrix. Some fighters, monks, rangers, and rogues study here, using Quandrix principles to train their minds.

Description

With subjects ranging from the physical and tangible to the paradoxical and strange, the student body of Quandrix College includes an eclectic mix of individuals. The Quandrix Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits you might adopt for your character.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | When I find a subject I'm interested in, I won't stop studying until I know everything about it. It keeps me up at night.

2 | I hope this all makes sense to me one day. Until then, I'm going to keep faking it.

3 | Equations and patterns come naturally to my mind. I wish friendship came just as easily.

4 | I believe I'm always the smartest person in the room. And I'll prove it, even if no one asks me to.

5 | If these classes have taught me anything, it's that reality is a lie, and nothing matters. So why bother?

6 | Before I graduate, I want to achieve something mathematically impossible. I must leave a legacy!

Description

When you make your character, you may roll once on the Quandrix Trinkets table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook, for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A small succulent in a dodecahedral clay pot

2 | A blue knit hat that looks a bit like a bottle folding in on itself

3 | A model hypercube carved from green crystal, showcasing the fourth dimension

4 | A crumpled test on the theory of gravity manipulation, with a failing grade on the front and the name of a famous Quandrix professor

5 | A blue tetrahedron that, when tapped twice, projects a recording of an old mathematics lecture

6 | A round bread roll cut so that someone could spread butter on both halves without ever lifting the knife

Description

You're an entertainer at heart, a performer with a flair for the dramatic and a love of the spotlight. You've spent years honing your craft, mastering a demanding set of skills so you can perform them with panache and make them look easy. The wild applause, the screams of the crowds, the mayhem and terror spreading into the streets—this is what you live for.

You're also a member of a cult devoted to an ancient demon who delights in violence and chaos. It just so happens that Rakdos loves a good show, and your highest aspiration is to please the Defiler, the Lord of Riots, with your own performance.

• Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument

• Languages: Choose either Abyssal or Giant

• Equipment: A Rakdos insignia, a musical instrument (one of your choice), a costume clothes, a hooded lantern made of wrought iron, a 10-foot length of chain with sharply spiked links, a tinderbox, 10 torch, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch containing 10 gp (a mix of Azorius and Boros 1-zino coins), and a bottle of sweet, red juice

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 79

Description

Rakdos performance styles typically fuse standard circus-style acrobatics with fire, wrought-iron spikes and hooks, and monsters. You can roll a d8 or choose from the options in the Performance Options table to determine your preferred style of performance.

d8 | Type of Performer

1 | Spikewheel acrobat

2 | Lampooning satirist

3 | Fire juggler

4 | Marionette puppeteer

5 | Pain artist

6 | Noise musician

7 | Nightmare clown

8 | Master of ceremonies

Description

People recognize you as a member of the Cult of Rakdos, and they're careful not to draw your anger or ridicule. You can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a restaurant or breaking down a door at a local shop, if no legal authorities witness the crime. Most people are too daunted by you to report your wrongdoing to the Azorius.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Rakdos Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — fire bolt, vicious mockery

1st — burning hands, dissonant whispers, hellish rebuke

2nd — crown of madness, enthrall, flaming sphere

3rd — fear, haste

4th — confusion, wall of fire

5th — dominate person

Your magic often produces a flashy spectacle, wreathing you or your targets in a mixture of harmless flame and shadowy shapes. When you manipulate an opponent's mind, a flaming symbol of Rakdos might momentarily appear like a mask over the target's face.

Description

Members of demonic cults aren't generally known as the kindest or most mentally stable individuals, so you're likely to have something in your nature that distinguishes you from the law-abiding citizens of Ravnica.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I revel in mayhem, the more destructive the better.

2 | When violence breaks out, I lose myself in rage, and it's sometimes hard to stop.

3 | Everything is funny to me, and the most hilarious and bloodiest things leave me cackling with sadistic glee.

4 | I derive genuine pleasure from the pain of others.

5 | I enjoy testing other people's patience.

6 | I can't stand it when things are predictable, so I like to add a little chaos to every situation.

7 | I throw my weight around to make sure I get my way.

8 | I enjoy breaking delicate works of art. And fingers, which are sort of the same.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral)

3 | Creativity. I strive to find more ways to express my art through pain—my own as well as others'. (Chaotic)

4 | Freedom. No one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)

5 | Equality. I want to see Ravnica remade, with no guilds and no hierarchies. (Chaotic)

6 | Spectacle. People are inspired by the greatness they see in art. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have belonged to the same performance troupe for years, and these people mean everything to me.

2 | A blood witch told me I have a special destiny to fulfill, and I'm trying to figure out what it is.

3 | I'm secretly hoping that I can change the cult from the inside, using my influence to help rein in the wanton violence.

4 | I own something that Rakdos once touched (it's seared black at the spot), and I cherish it.

5 | I want to be better at my chosen form of performance than any other member of my troupe.

6 | I am devoted to Rakdos and live to impress him.

d6 | Flaw

1 | My family is prominent in another guild. I enjoy my wild life, but I don't want to embarrass them.

2 | I couldn't hide my emotions and opinions even if I wanted to.

3 | I throw caution to the wind.

4 | I resent the rich and powerful.

5 | When I'm angry, I lash out in violence.

6 | There's no such thing as too much pleasure.

Description

The Cult of Rakdos is anything but organized. Individuals frequently move from one performance troupe to another. Almost all members of the cult know former castmates now in different troupes, which allows for the possibility of a widespread network of contacts.

Roll twice on the Rakdos Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Rakdos Contacts table.

Rakdos Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | I was part of a two-person act until my former partner moved to a different troupe.

2 | My sibling and I ran away from home and joined the Cult of Rakdos together. We're very close.

3 | A childhood friend of mine is an attendant in Rix Maadi, the Rakdos guildhall.

4 | My parents brought me into the guild and taught me my trade.

5 | There's a lesser demon in the cult who thinks he owes me a favor, and who am I to argue?

6 | The master of ceremonies in my troupe is well connected with other troupes.

7 | I had a romance with a pain artist in another troupe.

8 | Rakdos himself has witnessed me perform.

Non-Rakdos Contacts

d10 | Contact

1 | I know an Azorius elocutor who has a very amusing dark side.

2 | A Boros captain really wants to "redeem" me.

3 | I think a member of my troupe is a Dimir agent.

4 | I once convinced a Golgari medusa to participate in a show. We've been on good terms ever since.

5 | I came from the Gruul and still have relatives there.

6 | An Izzet technician provides pyrotechnics for my performances.

7 | An Orzhov oligarch has taken an interest in my career, like a patron of the arts.

8 | Roll an additional Rakdos contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

9 | A Selesnya healer attends my performances regularly.

10 | A Simic biomancer provides mutant monsters to add a taste of the bizarre to our shows.

Description

The Cult of Rakdos encourages independent action on the part of its members. Its goal is fomenting chaos, and it firmly believes in putting its own house in disorder before carrying that mission into the larger city. So your role is to execute your vision of grand satire and disruptive performance art, as you aspire to outdo your guild mates and attract the attention of Rakdos himself.

You work as part of a troupe, with your artistic talents used in service to a ringmaster's vision. But your performance is your own, and no one expects you to follow a script. In fact, if you go through a performance without doing something you haven't done before, you're clearly not trying hard enough.

Description

Two pantheons have battled over the fate of Exandria since the world's founding—the Prime Deities and the Betrayer Gods. During the Calamity, the Prime Deities allied themselves with the mortal races of Exandria, their original creations, to protect their flawed world and its multifarious forms of life. The Betrayers sought to wipe the slate clean.

At the end of that devastating war, the Prime Deities established a Divine Gate that would prevent all gods, good or evil, from directly affecting the world, but which would leave the gods' mortal followers and supernal servants to enact their will. And so the corrupting whispers of the Betrayer Gods have ensnared the minds of power-hungry mortals for centuries, promising them a sliver of the gods' great power in exchange for dedicating their souls to occult lore.

You once belonged to such a cult of the Betrayer Gods. Perhaps this faith only briefly tempted your rebellious, youthful spirit. Perhaps the cult gave you love and family when you had none, asking only your adherence to their prophet in exchange. Or maybe you were raised from birth to pay homage to gods of selfish cruelty—until one fateful day the veil was lifted, so that nothing stood between you and the horrifying truth.

However it happened, you were freed from the shackles of this poisonous sect. Yet you know that this group does not forgive betrayers. As long as you live, you will be hunted—and if the members of the cult think you dead, their hunt will begin again the second they learn they're wrong.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception and Religion

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: Vestments and a holy symbol of your previous cult, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Source: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting: Reborn p. 185

Description

You were inundated with knowledge about one of the Betrayer Gods, and know by heart everything from their basic commandments to some of their most esoteric secrets. Choose one of the Betrayer Gods described in chapter 2. You have advantage on Intelligence (Religion) checks to know information about their faith, including obscure secrets unknown to most worshipers.

Additionally, you can work with your GM to create a secret that you learned during your time in the cult. This secret might be the seed of a conspiracy, a myth of a legendary hero whose true meaning has mutated over the years, or even the location of a fabled artifact of the gods.

Description

The life of every former cultist is defined to some degree by the process of fleeing the past, and of trying to make a future away from the beliefs that once claimed them. Your bond is likely associated with those who gave you the insight and strength to flee your old ways. Your ideal might involve your desire to take down and destroy those who promote the evil you escaped, and perhaps finding new faith in a forgiving god.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I need a dagger close at hand at all times. Just in case they find me.

2 | I can't believe I'm out here fighting monsters. After everything I've been through, why can't I find a normal life?

3 | I need a stiff drink before I do anything stressful these days. I know it's a problem. Just…let me have this.

4 | Murder is okay when it's for a good cause! I didn't tear my past out by the roots so I could let evil people cause more harm.

5 | My past is filled with stories like you wouldn't believe. Ones that'll really make your skin crawl. Do you want to hear…?

6 | Yeah, I'm crying. I do that. Get over yourself.

7 | I know you've told me your name twice already, but that's not good enough. How can I be sure you are who you say you are?

8 | My mind is always racing. I can't…I just need to…you have to give me a second—or else I can't…organize my thoughts.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Life. I've spent too long shackled to an evil master. No matter what happened before, I deserve my freedom now. (Chaotic)

2 | Redemption. People can change, but redemption must be something they choose for themselves. If they do, it is my duty to help them along that path. (Good)

3 | Power. When I abandoned the cult, it wasn't out of some misguided sense of righteousness. That pathetic organization was merely a shackle on my potential. (Evil)

4 | Vengeance. The cult has poisoned my life. I will see all its followers suffer. (Any)

5 | Hierarchy. The cult was vile, but its strength was in stability and organization. As long as good folk lack unity, evil will always triumph. (Lawful)

6 | Reparations. As a cultist, I harmed people whose names I'll never know. I feel obligated to repay my debt by aiding others. (Good)

d6 | Bond

1 | My cousin escaped the cult with me. I lost track of them when we fled, but I know they're alive. I can feel it.

2 | I was saved from the cult by a priest of one of the Prime Deities. If not for that sign of faith, I would surely be lost.

3 | I was told by the person who saved me that a sage once said: "Life needs things to live." I don't know what that means, but I've dedicated my existence to finding out.

4 | One of my cultist parents had a change of heart when I was a teenager, and we fled together in the dark of night. I didn't want to leave, but I understand now that their courage saved my life.

5 | I was bested by a warrior when I fumbled a cult-ordered assassination. I don't know why that person took pity on me, but they gave me purpose when I was lost.

6 | Now that I've saved myself, the only person important to me is my former cult leader—because I've sworn that they'll die by my hand.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I'm haunted by what I saw in those ritual chambers. Every time I see blood, I…oh, gods, I can't bear to even think about it.

2 | I ran from the cult long ago. But deep down, there's a part of me that still thinks they were right about certain things.

3 | I can't help but feel a rush whenever I see a life snuffed out before me. Just one more kill… just one more.

4 | Organized religion terrifies me. Betrayer Gods or Prime Deities…it doesn't matter. The sight of the faithful freezes my blood cold.

5 | Oh, I always tell the truth. Always. I've never had to keep a secret from anyone, so of course I'll be open with you.

6 | I don't trust easily. If you grew up being lied to about every little thing? The fundamental nature of the world? You wouldn't, either.

Description

It seems that just about everyone is a sailor on the Menagerie Coast. Plenty of pirates ply the waters of the coast as well, but none are as infamous or as organized as the mighty Revelry. If you're a pirate of the Revelry, you serve the Plank King and return a cut of all your plunder to him on the island of Darktow.

The Revelry doesn't take kindly to traitors and deserters, so if you count yourself a former member of that crew, you'll want to watch your back while traveling on the Menagerie Coast. Thugs might hassle you and your allies until you even the score with the Revelry, either by paying up, submitting to imprisonment, or proving that you're too dangerous to tangle with.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception

• Tool Proficiencies: Navigator's tools, vehicles (water)

• Equipment: A belaying pin (club), silk rope (50 feet), a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 203

Description

When you need to, you can secure free passage on a sailing ship for yourself and your adventuring companions. 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 free passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.

Description

If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship's Passage.

No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

Description

Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what.

2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done.

3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.

4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.

5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.

6 | I never pass up a friendly wager.

7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.

8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good)

2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful)

3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom—the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic)

4 | Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil)

5 | People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral)

6 | Aspiration. Someday, I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.

2 | The ship is most important—crewmates and captains come and go.

3 | I'll always remember my first ship.

4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.

5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due.

6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.

2 | I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.

3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.

4 | Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop.

5 | I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.

6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction.

Description

Rewarded characters have varied histories, but they have one thing in common: they were down on their luck before their lives abruptly turned around. They might have given up all hope of a happier life, only to suddenly get a second chance. A rewarded character has often spent many years struggling to escape painful circumstances. Now, extricated from the (sometimes literal) prison that was their former life, they throw their cares to the wind and become adventurers.

If your character's life was changed by a Deck of Many Things, consider which card was responsible. Perhaps the Fates card undid a tragic mistake your character made in their youth. The Gem card could have wiped out debts incurred over a lifetime. Maybe the Sage card provided the advice needed to escape a hopeless situation, the Star card increased an ability score to its current value, or a Wish spell cast after drawing the Moon card transformed your character from a peddler to a fledgling sorcerer infused with magic and new knowledge and skills. If you're making a character at higher than 1st level, magic items they have could have been granted by the Key or Sun card.

• Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice (such as playing cards or three-dragon ante cards)

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, five sheets of paper, a gaming set (matching your chosen proficiency), a signet ring, a set of fine clothes, and a pouch containing 18 gp

Source: The Book of Many Things p. 57

Description

When you make your character, you can roll once on the Rewarded Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook for your starting trinket.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A perfumed silk scarf from an admirer

2 | A crystal bead that glows like a candle in the dark

3 | A letter of introduction and invitation from an influential person in a far-off city

4 | A motto or symbol whose meaning eludes you, etched on a piece of your equipment

5 | A crisp playing card that never seems to tear or soil, depicting the card that affected you

6 | Half a medallion designed to be rejoined to its other half

Description

Your unexpected good fortune is reflected by a minor boon. You gain the Lucky, Magic Initiate, or Skilled feat (your choice). Your choice of feat reflects the transformation that changed your life. An encounter with a genie who gave you three wishes might have resulted in magical powers represented by Magic Initiate. If you paid off all your family debts with a fortuitous round of three-dragon ante, you might be Lucky instead. Alternatively, you could use the Skilled feat to reflect whatever trial you endured to secure your new destiny and to model the knowledge and abilities imparted to you by whatever force transformed your life.

Description

Your character's perspective on life has changed thanks to their new destiny. The Rewarded Personality Traits table suggests traits you might adopt for your character and cards from the Deck of Many Things that might have prompted this trait.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | A safe home is a foundation on which anything else can be built. (Key, Throne)

2 | I was elevated to heights I could never otherwise attain, and I won't waste my fortune. (Star, Sun)

3 | I try to be a source of inspiration and joy to others. Life is never as bad as you think! (Euryale, Jester)

4 | Courage and boldness can carry the day when all else fails. (Comet, Knight)

5 | My good fortune means I can lift others up as well. (Gem, Moon)

6 | Having the right answers is the first step to solving any problem, no matter how dire. (Fates, Sage)

Description

You were an intern at a rival of Acquisitions Incorporated, and you gained a healthy respect for not just the job and the franchising opportunities, but for the ruthless and efficient way Acquisitions Incorporated goes about its business. Why deal with the rest, when you can work for the best?

Perhaps the rival did not treat you as well as you were hoping, or you washed out of that organization. Maybe you hope to leverage the knowledge you gained there for an advantage at Acquisitions Incorporated. Either way, you're now bringing your talents to the company, ready to put your skills to use.

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Investigation

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools

• Languages: Any one of your choice

• Equipment: One set of artisan's tools, a ledger from your previous employer containing a small piece of useful information, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Acquisitions Incorporated p. 51

Description

You have connections to your previous employer or other groups you dealt with during your previous employment. You can communicate with your contacts, gaining information at the DM's discretion.

Description

If you were happy with your previous internship, the parting of ways might have been amicable. If not, it might have involved armed guards removing you from the premises. If you were passed over at your previous position, it might have left you a blend of seething rage, practiced nonchalance, and keen knowledge of where the bodies are buried (perhaps literally).

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My previous employer didn't respect me, and now I'll do whatever I can to gain respect.

2 | The job is important, but the relationships I forge with my coworkers are even more so.

3 | The job is everything to me. Who needs relaxation, hobbies, and a social life?

4 | I know I'm not the best and brightest, but if I put my best self forward, I can overcome anything.

5 | My former boss was an idiot. So was my boss before that. And before that. I'm sure those were all coincidences.

6 | This company is so much better than my previous one. It will always be the best until they stop paying me.

7 | I know this dagger belongs to the company, but I'm sure they won't miss it. Or this flask. Or this armor.

8 | It's only a matter of time before I'll be upper management. I just have to kiss up to my superiors and kick down those beneath me.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Advancement. Money and power can be gained more easily within an organization. I plan to gain as much as possible. (Evil)

2 | Structure. Life goes much more smoothly when you follow the rules and work within a system. (Lawful)

3 | Uncertainty. The more chaos that swirls around me, the more opportunities I can find to profit. (Chaotic)

4 | Justice. I can't stand people being treated unjustly. I do whatever it takes to stop injustice and those who flout the law. (Lawful)

5 | Pleasure. What's the use of working hard and making money if you can't enjoy the finer things in life? (Any)

6 | Power. Money is fine, but real power means never having to say you're sorry. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | I have a family member in need. I consider them in everything I do.

2 | My peers keep me grounded.

3 | My past mistakes cost someone else dearly. I have to rectify that.

4 | A childhood mentor put me on my current path. If I succeed, I want to repay that mentor in some way.

5 | I value an oath of loyalty I took to a group of friends over everything else in my life.

6 | Although I don't get along well with people, my pet means the world to me.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I know what's best. Trust me.

2 | Flaw? I have no flaws. I'm perfect.

3 | My loyalties are... fluid.

4 | If anything goes wrong, it must be someone else's fault. Let me explain that in detail.

5 | There's right and there's wrong, and there's no gray area in between.

6 | Our superiors might not like what you're doing. I'm going to have to put that in my report.

Description

Ruined characters were on top of the world before misfortune struck. Many were wealthy. Others come from modest backgrounds, but they were surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones. They might have been famous, or simply never encountered serious hardship before. Some were born to privilege or rose to prominence through trickery or a false reputation. Now a Deck of Many Things—or another calamity—has knocked them down like a house of cards.

If your character's life was ruined by a Deck of Many Things, consider which card was responsible. Perhaps your character was imprisoned for years by the Donjon or Void card, and now everyone they knew has died. Maybe your character drew the Rogue card, and the person closest to them—a spouse, child, or parent—turned against them. A devil unleashed by the Flames card might have destroyed their life. The Ruin or Talons card might have stolen the character's material goods or saddled them with vast debt.

• Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice (such as playing cards or three-dragon ante cards)

• Languages: One of your choice

• Equipment: A cracked hourglass, a set of rusty manacles, a half-empty bottle, a hunting trap, a gaming set (matching your chosen proficiency), a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 13 gp

Source: The Book of Many Things p. 58

Description

When you make your character, you can roll once on the Ruined Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook.

d6 | Trinket

1 | A rusted scrap of a once-beloved family heirloom

2 | A land deed, but all the names and markings that once tied it to you have faded into obscurity

3 | A bauble once imbued with powerful magic

4 | A battered playing card with a hole pierced in it, its face depicting the card that affected you

5 | A yellowed Humanoid tooth that whispers eerily when placed under a pillow

6 | A keepsake from someone you were once close to but who is now your enemy

Description

You have weathered ruinous misfortune, and you possess hidden reserves others don't expect. You gain the Alert, Skilled, or Tough feat (your choice). Your choice of feat reflects how you've dealt with the terrible loss that changed your life forever. If you've kept your senses sharp for every opportunity and climbed your way out of misery by seizing the tiniest scrap of hope, choose Alert. If you've redoubled your efforts to reclaim what was once yours, choose Skilled. If you've stoically persevered through your misfortune, select Tough.

Description

Rising above misfortune shapes one's perspective. The Ruined Personality Traits table suggests traits you might adopt for your character (and ruinous cards that might have prompted this trait).

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | I've changed from my past, and I work to live up to my new path. (Balance, Throne)

2 | Every moment is a gift I refuse to squander. (Euryale, Skull)

3 | Now that I've overcome having nothing, I can survive anything. (Fool, Ruin, Talons)

4 | I know enemies are set against me, and I always prepare for the worst. (Flames, Rogue)

5 | I interpret every event as part of a larger pattern I just haven't worked out yet. (Puzzle, Star)

6 | I must make up for so much time I've already lost. (Donjon, Void)

Description

You've dedicated your life to studying runecraft. Whether you were taught by a master rune carver or learned by poring over ancient engravings, you can tap into the supernatural power held within runes.

The art of runecraft was initially created by giants, but over time, the practice has been adopted by many peoples. As such, though Giant runes are the most commonly used, many rune carvers incorporate symbols from their native languages into the craft.

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Perception

• Tool Proficiencies: One set of artisan's tools

• Languages: Giant

• Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a small knife, a whetstone, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants p. 14

Description

Each rune carver has a unique style and preferred medium. To determine how you make your runes, you can roll on the Rune Style table.

d6 | Style

1 | You inscribe runes in wax or clay with a fine metal needle.

2 | You whittle pieces of wood into small figurines you mark with runes.

3 | You engrave runes onto glass beads and thread them onto necklaces and bracelets.

4 | You stitch runes into the hems of clothing.

5 | You carve runes on a set of animal bones you can throw in different formations.

6 | You draw runes into candles, melting the wax to smooth over the engravings.

Description

You gain the Rune Shaper feat.

Description

The Rune Carver Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits you might adopt for your character.

d6 | Personality Trait

1 | Is it practical to learn an ancient language that is rarely spoken? No. But is it fun? Very.

2 | I learned one of my ancestors was a lauded rune carver whose story was lost to time. I seek to rekindle that legacy.

3 | The old, traditional markings of runecraft look so boring. Why not give my runes some flair?

4 | In my studies of runes, I strive to understand how great civilizations of the past fell, so I can prevent it from happening to societies of the present.

5 | Life may be a whirlwind of chaos, but whenever I create my runes, I feel at peace.

6 | My brain struggles to process words written in ink, but the feeling of carved runes makes my mind sing.

Description

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.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History

• 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 10 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 137

Description

To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below.

d8 | Specialty

1 | Alchemist

2 | Astronomer

3 | Discredited academic

4 | Librarian

5 | Professor

6 | Researcher

7 | Wizard's apprentice

8 | Scribe

Description

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.

Description

Sages are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to scholarly pursuits, a sage values knowledge highly — sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a means toward other ideals.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.

2 | I've read every book in the world's greatest libraries — or I like to boast that I have.

3 | I'm used to helping out those who aren't as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.

4 | There's nothing I like more than a good mystery.

5 | I'm willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.

6 | I... speak... slowly... when talking... to idiots,... which... almost... everyone... is... compared... to me.

7 | I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.

8 | I'm convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)

2 | Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)

3 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)

4 | No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)

5 | Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil)

6 | Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | It is my duty to protect my students.

2 | I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.

3 | I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.

4 | My life's work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.

5 | I've been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.

6 | I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I am easily distracted by the promise of information.

2 | Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.

3 | Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization.

4 | I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.

5 | I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.

6 | I can't keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else's.

Description

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?

• Skill Proficiencies: 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 (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Source: Player's Handbook p. 139

Description

When you need to, you can secure free passage on a sailing ship for yourself and your adventuring companions. 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 free passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.

Description

Sailors can be a rough lot, but the responsibilities of life on a ship make them generally reliable as well. Life aboard a ship shapes their outlook and forms their most important attachments.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | My friends know they can rely on me, no matter what.

2 | I work hard so that I can play hard when the work is done.

3 | I enjoy sailing into new ports and making new friends over a flagon of ale.

4 | I stretch the truth for the sake of a good story.

5 | To me, a tavern brawl is a nice way to get to know a new city.

6 | I never pass up a friendly wager.

7 | My language is as foul as an otyugh nest.

8 | I like a job well done, especially if I can convince someone else to do it.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Respect. The thing that keeps a ship together is mutual respect between captain and crew. (Good)

2 | Fairness. We all do the work, so we all share in the rewards. (Lawful)

3 | Freedom. The sea is freedom - the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. (Chaotic)

4 | Mastery. I'm a predator, and the other ships on the sea are my prey. (Evil)

5 | People. I'm committed to my crewmates, not to ideals. (Neutral)

6 | Aspiration. Someday I'll own my own ship and chart my own destiny. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I'm loyal to my captain first, everything else second.

2 | The ship is most important - crewmates and captains come and go.

3 | I'll always remember my first ship.

4 | In a harbor town, I have a paramour whose eyes nearly stole me from the sea.

5 | I was cheated out of my fair share of the profits, and I want to get my due.

6 | Ruthless pirates murdered my captain and crewmates, plundered our ship, and left me to die. Vengeance will be mine.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I follow orders, even if I think they're wrong.

2 | I'll say anything to avoid having to do extra work.

3 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation.

4 | Once I start drinking, it's hard for me to stop.

5 | I can't help but pocket loose coins and other trinkets I come across.

6 | My pride will probably lead to my destruction.

Description

Even though you are a non-human, despite Hillsfar's Great Law of Humanity, you continue to live in the City of Trade. You do so by maintaining a secret identity, forging documents, and wearing a disguise. Few, if any, know you aren't human.

If you're a halfling or gnome, you pass as a little person or a child. If you're a half-elf, half-orc, or genasi, you disguise your non-human features. Other races use a combination of disguise and concealing clothing to hide.

Your reasons for doing so are your own. Perhaps you're a dissident or the agent of a foreign power. Maybe you have a relationship with someone you cannot bear to leave. Regardless, this way of life has taken a heavy toll on you.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth

• Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, forgery kit

• Equipment: A disguise kit, a forgery kit, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch, 5 gp

Source: Hillsfar Character Backgrounds and Bonds p. 8

Description

You have created a secret identity that you use to conceal your true race and that offers a covering explanation for your presence in Hillsfar. In addition, 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 [Note: This feature is a variant of the Charlatan feature.]

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | Despite its problems, I love Hillsfar, it's the greatest city in the world. The only one for me.

2 | I move from place to place, never staying anywhere long and leaving nothing behind.

3 | I think flattery is the best way to direct attention away from me.

4 | I don't make friends easily. They're a liability I cannot afford.

5 | Risk and danger are exhilarate me. Pulling off schemes and deceptions is a rush.

6 | The First Lord is right, humans are superior. I really admire them, despite the atrocities.

7 | I avoid people of my own race, as well as things associated with my race, lest they give me away.

8 | I live for the Arena. I admire gladiators and enjoy the thrill of blood on the sands!

d6 | Ideal

1 | Quisling. Supporting the rulers of the land and following the laws is the road to salvation. (Lawful)

2 | Scoflaw. The laws and lawmakers are corrupt. I follow laws only when it suits me. (Chaotic)

3 | Optimist. Everyone Is basically good. Though the government is misguided it will all be okay. (Any)

4 | Secretive. I am in the habit of not talking about myself. My business is none of yours. (Any)

5 | Heroic. I do everything I can to help non-humans, regardless of the personal cost to me. (Good)

6 | Depraved. I have lost my moral compass. The ends justify most any means. (Evil)

d6 | Bond

1 | The humans of Hillsfar have inflicted terrible harm on me, my family, and my race. I will have revenge.

2 | I am part of an underground network that smuggles non-humans into and out of the city.

3 | I am a partisan. I commit minor acts of defiance against the First Lord and Red Plumes when I can.

4 | I am a spy. I report on events in and around Hillsfar.

5 | My secret identity is the only thing protecting me from the Arena. I will stop at nothing to maintain it.

6 | I am madly in love with a human who does not know my true identity, and I fear rejection if I reveal it.

d6 | Flaw

1 | After years of denying who I am, I now despise myself and other members of my pathetic race.

2 | Years of hiding have made me somewhat paranoid. I trust no one.

3 | I've been lying so often and for so long that I can't help it anymore. I frequently lie for no reason at all.

4 | I am ashamed. I failed to protect a member of my family who was seized and thrown into the Area.

5 | I am struggling with maintaining my secret identity. I subconsciously want to get caught and therefore sometimes let my secret identity slip.

6 | Years of successfully deceiving others have made me cocky. I think no one can see through my lies.

Description

You are a member of a blessed community, built on the ideals of harmony. Here, nature and civilization coexist peacefully, living and growing in accordance with the will of the Worldsoul, Mat'Selesnya. As a member of the Selesnya Conclave, you are surrounded by people and other creatures who share your worldview and your longing for deeper spiritual communion with the world, and you have a fervent desire to share the joy you have experienced with Ravnica. Along with the rest of the conclave, you are committed to resisting the ambitions of the other guilds—with military force if necessary.

• Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Persuasion

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools or one musical instrument

• Languages: Choose one of Elvish, Loxodon, or Sylvan

• Equipment: A Selesnya insignia, a healer's kit, robes, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp (Azorius 1-zino coins)

Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 86

Description

As a member of the Selesnya Conclave, you can count on your guild mates to provide shelter and aid. You and your companions can find a place to hide or rest in any Selesnya enclave in the city, unless you have proven to be a danger to them. The members of the enclave will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives in this effort.

In addition, as a guild member you can receive free healing and care at a Selesnya enclave, though you must provide any material components needed for spells.

Description

Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature

For you, the spells on the Selesnya Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Cantrip — druidcraft, friends

1st — animal friendship, charm person

2nd — aid, animal messenger, calm emotions, warding bond

3rd — plant growth, speak with plants

4th — aura of life, conjure minor elementals

5th — awaken, commune with nature

Members of the Selesnya Conclave refer to their magic as "doruvati", a Sylvan word meaning "gift". When you use these gifts of Mat'Selesnya, graceful swirls of green and silver light dance in the air around you, and phantasmal green leaves might waft through the air. A sensation of gentle warmth and the smell of spring flowers or autumn leaves might accompany your spells.

Description

Most members of the Selesnya Conclave are true believers—the tight-knit community allows little room for the cynical or disillusioned. They are spiritual, empathetic, and generally peaceful—unless roused to action. Their flaws and bonds alike grow naturally from their close ties to the community.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I never raise my voice or lose my temper.

2 | I feel the pains and joys of everyone around me, friend or foe.

3 | I would rather make a friend than thwart an enemy.

4 | I'm always straining to peer into another reality that seems to be just beyond my senses.

5 | I'm uneasy if I can't see plants growing or feel soil beneath my feet.

6 | Seeing illness or injury in any creature saddens me.

7 | I have much to be proud of, but I am still just one strand in the grand, interwoven tapestry of life.

8 | Nature offers rich and abundant metaphors for understanding the complexities of life.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any)

2 | Harmony. Nothing is more beautiful than voices and actions aligned in common purpose. (Good)

3 | Order. Like a well-pruned tree, society thrives when everything is kept in good order. (Lawful)

4 | Life. Preserving life and nature is always a worthwhile endeavor. (Good)

5 | Humility. Ambition and pride are the roots of strife. (Good)

6 | Evangelism. When all have joined the Selesnya Conclave, Ravnica will finally know peace. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I would give my life in the defense of the small enclave where I first encountered Mat'Selesnya.

2 | I love beasts and plants of all kinds, and am loath to harm them.

3 | A healer nursed me to recovery from a mortal illness.

4 | I'll sing the invitation of Mat'Selesnya with my dying breath.

5 | I cherish a leaf from Vitu-Ghazi that changes color with the seasons, even though it is no longer attached to the tree.

6 | Every member of the conclave is my kin, and I would fight for any one of them.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I'm terrified of getting into a fight where my side is outnumbered.

2 | I assume that people mean well until they prove otherwise.

3 | I enjoy comfort and quiet, and prefer to avoid extra effort.

4 | I have a fierce temper that doesn't reflect the inner calm I seek.

5 | I'm convinced that everyone else in the conclave has a deeper connection to the Worldsoul than I do.

6 | I'm trying to atone for the life of crime I led before I joined the Selesnya, but I find it hard to give up my bad habits.

Description

The Selesnya Conclave is all about connections, so its members cultivate contacts throughout the guild. The guild also engages in energetic recruitment to draw converts from other guilds, and often these new guild members maintain friendships with former guild mates.

Roll twice on the Selesnya Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Selesnya Contacts table.

Selesnya Contacts

d8 | Contact

1 | A wise centaur trainer believed in me even though I was a terrible student.

2 | A good friend has risen to become a Ledev guardian.

3 | I left my former guild and joined the Selesnya along with a close friend.

4 | The dryad at the head of my enclave has taken an interest in my activities.

5 | A sibling is an instructor at the guild's training grounds.

6 | One of my parents is a votary, tasked with protecting the temple gardens at the Vitu-Ghazi guildhall.

7 | I had a romance with a well-known Selesnya healer.

8 | Trostani, the head of the guild and the voice of Mat'Selesnya, once welcomed me into her presence.

Non-Selesnya Contacts

d10 | Contact

1 | I left the Azorius, and a former colleague still resents me for that act.

2 | A good friend, eager for action, left the Selesnya and joined the Boros.

3 | I had a relationship with a guild mate who turned out to be a Dimir agent.

4 | I know a disgruntled Golgari assassin who is ripe for recruitment.

5 | I'm friendly with a Gruul centaur who almost joined us a few years back.

6 | I once had a heated public argument with an Izzet chemister, and neither of us is allowed back into that restaurant.

7 | I paid off my debt to the Orzhov Syndicate, but my good friend was not so lucky and remains indebted to that guild.

8 | At a time of terrible grief in my life, a Rakdos performer made a mockery of my pain, leaving me with mixed feelings of sadness and humor.

9 | Roll an additional Selesnya contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.

10 | I have a sibling in the Simic Combine, and we argue every time we see each other.

Description

Although the guild teaches the importance of subjugating the individual will to the good of the conclave, it also celebrates the diversity of individuals, in the same sense that a field that produces different crops is healthier than one that yields a single crop. That principle applies to your skills as an adventurer. As long as your efforts are directed toward advancing the goals of the guild rather than your private agenda, you're allowed to put your talents to work in your unique way.

That said, you must never lose sight of the fact that you are part of a larger community. That includes the whole guild, of course, but your ties to community start with your vernadi (enclave) and its voda (dryad leader). The dryads want to know what you're doing and what purpose it serves, and they act to curtail your actions—or even expel you from the guild—if they determine that you aren't serving Selesnya's best interests.

Description

You grew up at a time when the wizards of Netheril were at war with the elves of Cormanthor. You recall sitting cross-legged hearing the stories of the glorious Thultanthar, also called the Shade Enclave and the City of Shade, and aspired to study there and maybe even did, for a time. Your dreams came crashing down a few years ago when Thultanthar fell from the sky upon Myth Drannor.

You know that there was a Netherese Garrison stationed near Hillsfar and have heard rumors that its downfall came from traitors within the ranks. You remain loyal to Netheril and seek other Shade loyalists and fanatics in the Cormanthor forest and the areas surrounding Hillsfar.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Intimidation

• Tool Proficiencies: Forgery kit

• Languages: Netherese

• Equipment: A forgery kit, a transparent cylinder of shadow that has no opening, a signet ring, a set of fine clothes, and 15 gp

Source: Hillsfar Character Backgrounds and Bonds p. 9

Description

You have a special way of communicating with others who feel the same way you do about the Shade. When you enter a village or larger city you can identify contact who will give you information on those that would hinder your goals and those would help you simply because of your desire to see the Shade Enclave return in all its glory. [Note: This feature is a variant of the Criminal feature.]

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I am a bully; I try to hide it though.

2 | I let my actions speak for themselves

3 | I am important; I will not let anyone forget that.

4 | You are either with me or against me.

5 | I know it is only a time before I am betrayed by those I care for.

6 | I never understand why people get so emotional.

7 | They are out to get me. It is only my cunning that keeps me ahead of them

8 | Everyone has a choice, the one I make is always right though.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Hope. I know even if I need do evil acts, history will be my redemption. (Chaos)

2 | Dedicated. I can do anything I put my mind to. (Lawful)

3 | Exciting. I have found the truth of the Shadovar and want to share it with everyone. (Any)

4 | Frugal. I horde my possessions knowing that someday I will be called upon to give everything I have to the cause. (Any)

5 | Eloquent. I use my words to sway others to my beliefs. (Any)

6 | Compassionate. It is through love that others will join in our cause. (Good)

d6 | Bond

1 | They say the Shade broke the bonds of mortality; I want to find out how.

2 | The whispers in my head remind me that there is power to be found in the shadows.

3 | For the glory of Netheril, I will grow in power.

4 | I once lived in Hillsfar, I was chased out before I was able to say farewell.

5 | My true love was a killed by the Red Plumes; I plot to make them suffer.

6 | I had a loved one die in the arena at Hillsfar; I am out to prove I am stronger than them!

d6 | Flaw

1 | I always over exaggerate my abilities.

2 | I cannot bear to let those I care for out of my sight.

3 | I am incapable of standing up for myself.

4 | The group I am with has committed atrocities; I am always worried their actions will become public.

5 | I always enjoy a good mug of ale... or five.

6 | I know what I do is wrong, but am afraid to speak up about it.

Description

You have sailed into war on the decks of great ships, patching their hulls with soup bowls and prayers. You once helped build a fishing vessel that single-handedly saved a town from starvation. You have seen a majestic prow in your dreams that you have not been able to replicate in wood. Since childhood, you have loved the water and have been captivated by the many vessels that travel on it.

• Skill Proficiencies: History, Perception

• Tool Proficiencies: Carpenter's tools, vehicles (water)

• Equipment: A set of well-loved carpenter's tools, a blank book, ink (1-ounce bottle), an ink pen, a set of traveler's clothes, and a leather pouch with 10 gp

Source: Ghosts of Saltmarsh p. 33

Description

Provided you have carpenter's tools and wood, you can perform repairs on a water vehicle. When you use this ability, you restore a number of hit points to the hull of a water vehicle equal to 5 x your proficiency modifier. A vehicle cannot be patched by you in this way again until after it has been pulled ashore and fully repaired.

Description

Your life at sea and in port has shaped you; you can roll on the following table to determine its impact or choose an element that best fits your character.

d6 | Sea's Influence

1 | Grand Designs. You are working on plans and schematics for a new, very fast ship. You must examine as many different kinds of vessels as possible to help ensure the success of your design.

2 | Solid and Sound. You patched up a war galley and prevented it from sinking. The local navy regards you as a friend.

3 | Favored. You insisted on thicker planking for a merchant vessel's hull, which saved it from sinking when it smashed against a reef. You have a standing invitation to visit the merchant's distant mansion.

4 | Master of Armaments. You specialized in designing and mounting defenses for the navy. You easily recognize and determine the quality of such items.

5 | Low Places. You have contacts in the smuggling outfits along the coast; you occasionally repair the criminals' ships in exchange for coin and favors.

6 | Mysteries of the Deep. You experienced an encounter with a possibly divine being while sailing alone. Work with your DM to determine the secret about the deep waters of the sea that this entity revealed to you.

Description

Shipwrights are resourceful carpenters and designers. They often have a dedicated spot at the local tavern, since shipwrights are invaluable to coastal communities. Some travel with naval fleets and might serve as officers if their temperament suits it. Shipwrights have an affinity for working with their hands and often perform feats of carpentry that others might deem miraculous.

d8 | Personality Trait

1 | I love talking and being heard more than I like to listen.

2 | I'm extremely fond of puzzles.

3 | I thrive under pressure.

4 | I love sketching and designing objects, especially boats.

5 | I'm not afraid of hard work — in fact, I prefer it.

6 | A pipe, an ale, and the smell of the sea: paradise.

7 | I have an endless supply of cautionary tales related to the sea.

8 | I don't mind getting my hands dirty.

d6 | Ideal

1 | Crew. If everyone on deck pitches in, we'll never sink. (Good)

2 | Careful Lines. A ship must be balanced according to the laws of the universe. (Lawful)

3 | Invention. Make what you need out of whatever is at hand. (Chaotic)

4 | Perfection. To measure a being and find it lacking is the greatest disappointment. (Evil)

5 | Reflection. Muddied water always clears in time. (Any)

6 | Hope. The horizon at sea holds the greatest promise. (Any)

d6 | Bond

1 | I must visit all the oceans of the world and behold the ships that sail there.

2 | Much of the treasure I claim will be used to enrich my community.

3 | I must find a kind of wood rumored to possess magical qualities.

4 | I repair broken things to redeem what's broken in myself.

5 | I will craft a boat capable of sailing through the most dangerous of storms.

6 | A kraken destroyed my masterpiece; its teeth shall adorn my hearth.

d6 | Flaw

1 | I don't know when to throw something away. You never know when it might be useful again.

2 | I get frustrated to the point of distraction by shoddy craftsmanship.

3 | Though I am an excellent crafter, my work tends to look as though it belongs on a ship.

4 | I am so obsessed with sketching my ideas for elaborate inventions that I sometimes forget little things like eating and sleeping.

5 | I'm judgmental of those who are not skilled with tools of some kind.

6 | I sometimes take things that don't belong to me, especially if they are very well made.

Description

Ships make Saltmarsh's economy run. You have contacts with one of the following leaders in town. Choose or roll on the table.

d6 | Contact

1-2 | Eda Oweland

3-4 | Gellan Primewater

5-6 | Anders Solmor