APPENDIX A: CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS

During character creation, players can select the follow- d6 Personality Trait
ing backgrounds for their characters with your approval.
I prefer the company of those who aren't like me, in-
These backgrounds are appropriate for any character or
campaign associated with the discovery and exploration cluding people of other races.
of exotic cultures and lost civilizations. 2 I'm a stickler when it comes to observing proper eti-
quette and local customs.
ANTHROPOLOGIST 3 I would rather observe than medd le.
You have always been fascinated by other cultures, 4 By living among violent people, I have become de-
from the most ancient and primeval lost lands to the sensitized to violence.
most modern civilizations. By studying other cultures' 5 I would risk life and limb to discover a new culture or
customs, philosophies, laws, rituals, religious beliefs, unravel the secrets of a dead one.
languages, and art, you have learned how tribes, em- 6 When l arrive at a new settlement for the first time, l
pires, and all forms of society in between craft their own must learn al l its customs.
destinies and doom. This knowledge came to you not
only through books and scrolls, but also through first-
d6 Ideal
hand observation- by visiting far-flung settlements and
exploring local histories and customs. Discovery. I want to be the first person to discover a
lost culture. (Any)
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion 2 Distance. One must not interfere with the affairs of
Languages: Two of your choice
another culture-even one in need of aid. (Lawful)
Equipment: A leather-bound diary, a bottle of ink, an
3 Knowledge. By understanding other races and cul-
ink pen, a set of traveler's clothes, one trinket of spe-
cial significance, and a pouch containing 10 gp tures, we learn to understand ourselves. (Any)
4 Power. Common people crave strong leadership, and
CULTU RAL CHAMELEON I do my utmost to provide it. (lawful)
Before becoming an adventurer, you spent much of S Protection. l must do everything possible to save a
your adult life away from your homeland, living among society facing extinction. (Good)
people different from your kin. You came to understand 6 Indifferent. Life is cruel. What's the point in saving
these foreign cultures and the ways of their people, who people if they're going to die anyway? (Chaotic)
eventually treated you as one of their own. One culture
had more of an influence on you than any other, shaping
your beliefs and customs. Choose a race whose culture d6 Bond
you've adopted, or rolJ on the Adopted Culture table. My mentor gave me a journal filled with lore and wis-
dom. Losing it would devastate me.
ADOPTED CULTURE 2 Having lived among the people of a primeval tribe or
d8 Culture d8 Culture clan, I long to return and see how they are faring.
1 Aarakocra 5 Halfl ing 3 Years ago, tragedy struck the members of an isolated
2 Dwarf 6 Human society I befriended, and l will honor them.
3 Elf 7 Lizardfolk 4 I want to learn mo re about a particular humanoid cul-
4 Gobli n 8 Ore ture that fascinates me.
5 I seek to avenge a clan, tribe, kingdom, or empire
FEATURE: ADEPT LINGUIST that was wiped out.
You can communicate with humanoids who don't speak 6 I have a trinket that I believe is the key to finding a
any language you know. You must observe the human- long-lost society.
oids interacting with one another for at least 1 day, after
which you learn a handful of important words, expres-
sions, and gestures-enough to communicate on a rudi- d6 Flaw
mentary level. Boats make me seasick.
2 I talk to myself, and I don't make friends easily.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS 3 I believe that I'm intel lectually superior to people
Anthropologists leave behind the societies into which from other cultures and have much to teach them.
they were born to discover what life ls like in other parts 4 I've picked up some unpleasant habits living among
of the world. They seek to see how other races and civi- gobli ns, lizardfolk, or ores.
lizations survive-or why they did not. Some anthropol- 5 l complain about everything.
ogists are driven by intellectual curiosity, while others
6 l wear a triba l mask and never ta ke it off.
want the fame and recognition that comes with being
the first to discover a new people, a lost tribe, or the
truth about an ancient empire's downfall.

APPENTIIX A I CilARACTER BACK.GROUNDS

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 A RCHAEOL OGI ST d8 Personality Trait
An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen I love a good puzzle or mystery.
cultures of the past by studying their remains-their 2 I'm a pack rat who never throws anything away.
bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and 3 Fame is more important to me than money.
their tombs. Those who practice archaeology travel to 4 I have no qualms about stealing from the dead.
the far corners of the world to root through crumbled 5 I'm happier In a dusty old tomb than I am in the
cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts centers of civilization.
that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priests,
6 Traps don't make me nervous. idiots who trigger
wars and cataclysms .
traps make me nervous.
Skill Proficiencies: History, Survival 7 I might fail, but I will never give up.
Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's tools or 8 You might think I'm a scholar, but I love a good
navigator's tools
brawl. These fists were made for punching.
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A wooden case containing a map to a ruin
or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner's pick, a set d6 Ideal
of traveler's clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a Preservation. That artifact belongs in a museum.
trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch con- (Good)
taining 25 gp 2 Greed. I won't risk my life for nothing. I expect
D usT D IGGER
some ki nd of payment. (Any)
Prior to becoming an adventurer, you spent most of your 3 Death Wish. Nothing is more exhilarating than a
young life crawling around in the dust, pilfering relics narrow escape from the jaws of death. (Chaotic)
of questionable value from crypts and ruins. Though 4 Dignity. The dead and their belongings deserve to
you managed to sell a few of your discoveries and earn be treated with respect. (Lawful)
enough coin to buy proper adventuring gear, you have s Immortality. All my exploring is part of a plan to
held onto an item that has great emotional value to you. find the secret of everlasting life. (Any)
Roll on the Signature Item table to see what you have, or 6 Danger. With every great discovery comes grave
choose an item from the table. da nger. The two walk hand in hand. (Any)

SI GNATURE ITEM
d6 Bond
d8 Item d8 Item
1 Ever since I was a child, I've heard stories about a
10-foot pole s Medallion lost city. I aim to find it, learn its secrets, and earn
2 Crowbar 6 Shovel my place In the history books.
3 Hat 7 Sledgehammer 2 I wa nt to fi nd my mentor, who disap peared on an
4 Hooded la ntern 8 Whip expedition some time ago.
3 I have a friend ly rival. Only one of us can be the
FEATURE: HIST O RI CAL KNOWLEDGE
best, and I aim to prove it's me.
When you enter a ruin or dungeon, you can correctly as-
certain its original purpose and determine its builders, 4 I won't sell an art object or other treasure that has
whether those were dwarves, elves, humans , yuan-ti, historical significance or is one of a kind.
or some other known race. In addition, you can deter- 5 I'm secretly in love with the wealthy patron who
mine the monetary value of ar t objects more than a sponsors my archaeological exploits.
century old. 6 I hope to bring prestige to a library, a museu m, or
a university.
S UGGESTED CHA RACTE RI STICS
Few archaeologists can resist the lure of an unexplored
ruin or dungeon, particularly if such a site is the source d6 Flaw
of legends or is rumored to contain the treasures and I have a secret fear of some common wild ani-
relics of wizards, warlords, or royalty. Some archaeolo- mal-a nd In my work, I see them everywhere.
gists plunder for wealth or fame, while others consider 2 I can't leave a room without searching it for secret
it their calling to illuminate the past or keep the world's doors.
greatest treasures from falling into the wrong hands. 3 When I'm not exploring dungeons or ruins, I get
Whatever their motivations, archaeologists combine the jittery and impatient.
qualities of a scrappy historian with the self-made hero- 4 I have no time for friends or fam ily. I spend every
ism of a treasure-hunting scoundrel. waking moment thinking about and preparing for
my next expedition.
s When given the choice of going left or right, I al-
ways go left.
6 I can't sleep except in total darkness.

APPENDIX A I GHARACTFR B.\CKGROU:o\DS

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