Note: I did not write the original versions of the Non-PH backgrounds: I drew them from the Backgrounds Database at ENWorld, and credit for them should be found there. 

Backgrounds for 3.5e characters Acolyte Academy Graduate Amnesiac Charlatan Criminal Drifter Entertainer (gladiator) Farmer/Fisherman Fey-snatched Folk Hero Guild Artisan/Merchant Harvester Hermit Lover Noble (knight) Outlander Sage Sailor (pirate) Slave (escaped or freed) Soldier Urchin

Backgrounds for 3.5e characters

Each character must select a background. It may give a Social Status (from 1-very low to 5-noble), Personality Trait, Bond, Ideal and Flaw. It also gives one or more added class skills or language bonuses, with 4 skill points (above and beyond the regular class/race points in the PH) to spend on them. There is also some starting equipment, and a minor special feature. The background may also spell out a specific place of origin, type of training or an event that happened in a character’s past. The player is free to consult with the DM to confirm details of this event or training, or to propose an alternate event. If the skill proficiencies provided by the background are already given to the character by his class, you may choose other skills that seem reasonable. Character Birth (use this link to roll for birth social status if needed/desired). All backgrounds presume the PC is 1st level and just beginning his/her adventuring career.

Acolyte

 In Greenvale, Mistland and the Serpent Isles, orphans are often taken in and raised by the Temple of Elanora to become acolytes. Acolytes of other deities are often younger siblings given over to the Temple of All Gods, or to another temple to be educated and raised because the family cannot otherwise afford to do so, or is particularly devout. Frequently, families of priests and clerics follow in their parents' footsteps and are raised as acolytes. Acolytes need not be of the cleric class, but generally remain devoted to the cause of their god or gods. In Terenor, acolytes may have been raised in a small cult or by one of the Temples of Safreth and Sithlar. Either is equally likely.

Class Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge (Religion)

Language proficiency: select one language to know at rank 2. To gain higher skill, you must spend skill points. Or choose reading/writing if not given by your class.

Starting Equipment: a holy symbol, a prayer book, 5 sticks of incense, a simple priestly over-robe or vest, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch with 15 silver pennies. 

Social Status: 3 (middle class) - acolytes of religious orders are slightly higher social rank than common apprentices

Feature: you command the respect of those who share your faith, and can perform basic religious services or join in formal ceremonies by playing a significant role. You and your companions can expect to receive free shelter for at least a few nights at your temple, and may also receive free healing or other spellcasting, so long as you can provide any material components needed for the casting. You may also have a “home temple” where you can reside free of charge for any length of time, and wherein you are a respected member. From this temple in particular, you can expect to receive free aid and advice.

Personality Trait

1. I Idolize a hero of my faith (pick or invent one) and constantly attempt to emulate them.

2. I believe I can find common ground with my fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and working towards peace.

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

4. I am always optimistic, and will always accept the kindest explanation for a situation or a person's actions.

5. I quote or misquote sacred texts and proverbs on every occasion, and attempt to follow their precepts.

6. I am tolerant (or intolerant) of other faiths and respect (or condemn) them at every opportunity.

7. Having lived the finest quality of life at my temple, I now take any opportunity to better my physical conditions.

8. I've spent so long in the temple that I have become awkward and uncertain in social situations outside the church's bounds.

Ideal

1. Tradition - the ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be upheld.

2. Charity - I always give to those in need, even if it leaves me short.

3. Change - we must help the gods bring about the changes they desire in the world.

4. Power - I hope to rise one day to the top of my church's hierarchy

5. Faith - I must trust that my deity will guide my actions if I listen for his/her words.

6. Aspiration - I must prove myself worthy of my god, in deed and word.

Bond

1. I would dieto recover an ancient, lost relic of my faith

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

3. I ow my life to the priest/temple who took me in when...

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/relic that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy.

Flaw

1. I judge others harshly, and myself even more so.

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

3. My piety leads me to put too much trust in those who profess to follow my faith

4. I am inflexible in my thinking

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

6. Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of all else.

Academy Graduate

You attended a prestigious Academy.  In Greenvale, this would be either the Belflame Music College in Jerint, or the House of Ivorr. If a PC prefers to align with the Red Wizards, he or she will be known to most other Red Wizards as a member of their loose confederacy. In Harothar, there is an Academy in Haroth which specializes in philosophy, history and the history of magic. In Miran, there are several Academies that specialize in history, philosophy, and statecraft.  Elsewhere, discuss with me. Your family was wealthy and powerful enough to gain your entrance or perhaps through luck and talent you caught the eye of a patron who paid your way or sponsored a scholarship for you. You learned a great deal at the academy and your classmates were the sons and daughters of Princes, Merchants, and powerful Wizards. While the skills you gained will stand you in good stead through the rest of your life, it is the friendships you formed that you treasure the most. Academy Graduates in Terenor will be from the Great Academy in Nordforet.

Class Skills: Sense Motive, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, history, nobility, the planes or another suitable to your "major")

Languages: 2nd Empire Miraborian or another racial language at rank 2.

Starting Equipment: A Diploma scroll in a case, a set of fine clothes, a set of scholarly robes, a gaming set, and a book with notes scribbled in the margins, a ring with your school's crest, and a belt pouch with 50 sp.

Social Status: 3 (middle class) - an academy graduate is slightly higher in rank than a typical apprentice

Customization:

Major
Choose or roll on the table to determine what your degree/educational background is in:
1 Philosophy, Religion or Magic
2 Statecraft, Diplomacy and War
3 History
4 Medicine or Alchemy
5 Engineering, Architecture, etc...
6 Music and Art

Feature

Alumni
Attending an Academy forms bonds that last a lifetime. It forms a common experience that links graduates even of different generations. In any large town or hall of power you will be able to find a fellow alumnus who will be willing to at least listen to whatever you propose. They are under no obligation to help you, certainly not at risk to themselves, but you can at very least get a foot in the door. If they are wealthy enough they will be happy to host you and your party for a few days to swap tales and gossip about the old Alma Matter.
You may occasionally be approached by fellow alums who wish to ask you for favors. You are not obliged to help, but if you don’t word will spread along the school network, and your reputation will suffer.

Suggested Characteristics

Academy graduates are the elite of the world and they know it. They know how the world works and they have the ears of those in power. Their classmates included Princes and the sons of powerful bureaucrats. They studied Tactics and Spellcraft and argued Philosophy with summoned outsiders. They can accomplish great things but may fall prey to over ambition.

Personality Trait

1 Pedant - Grammatical correctness and syntactic precision are the keys to effective communication. You shall correct errors wherever you perceive them.
2 Snob - It's really quite charming that this city permits the lower classes to use the same streets as their betters, but must they really be permitted on the sidewalks?
3 Gourmand - You have acquired a taste for the finer things in life and have been exposed to the cuisines of a wider world. And you want more.
4 Social Climber - Your origins may be humbler than those of your class mates but that's not going to hold you back. Titles can be bought or married into.
5 Rake - Wine, Women and Song. If only people would just leave you to your pleasures you wouldn't really need to stab anyone.
6 Life of the Party - Hail fellow, well met! Come pour your self a glass and join the company.

Ideal

1 Tradition - The wisdom of the ancients is not to be improved upon.
2 Progress - Oh yes it is.
3 Ambition - History remembers the great, and you want to be remembered.
4 Invention - Mordenkainen is not the only one who can pen a new spell or write a great history.
5 Art - Through the eyes and hand of an artist the beauty of even a mundane object can be shown.
6 Statesman - The game of Kings and powers is not for the faint-hearted. And you are not faint-hearted.

 

Bond

1 I would do anything for a classmate.
2 I am a firm believer in a cause I learned of at the Academy.
3 I am a loyal servant of my King and Country
4 I am eternally grateful to the Patron who guided me through school.
5 History must be chronicled and preserved at all costs.
6 Magic is a force that can make the world a better place.

Flaw

1 Elitist - Who on earth gave this peasant the idea that peasants can have ideas?
2 Ambitious - I will achieve great things, whatever the cost.
3 Schemer - Why go to the trouble yourself when a whisper in the right ear can do it for you?
4 Practical Joker - Well if he can't take a joke, he shouldn't have become an Ambassador.
5 Plagiarist - Of course it's my own work; what do you take me for?
6 The fools! I’ll show them all!

Amnesiac

You don't know who you were before becoming an Adventurer. You come up with so many different ideas of who you were, ideas that would keep you up at night. You adventure, dig through history, investigate on huge leads, hoping that they'd bring you one step closer to finding out who you truly are... That is if you even want to know who you are...

Skill Proficiencies: One skill from your "Loose End" (see below), Knowledge (your choice, see below in "Feature"), Gather Information

Languages:  One of your choice at rank 2, or Read/Write the local common tongue (ie 'Valer).

Equipment: A trinket from your past, a set of commoner's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 silver pennies.

Social Status: 2 (low) - a person with amnesia lacks any and all affiliation with their previous status and therefore is not able to claim significant rank. However, you can roll to see what your previous social status was. 

Customization

A Loose End:
Work with me to figure out if discovering your character's past will be important to the overall campaign plot or something to perform as a side-quest. Once that's figured out, work with me to see what kind of past you have if it's plot important. If it's simply a side-quest or inconsequential to the plot, then either roll below, or choose something as your unknown origin, tell me what it is, and I will at some point write a side-quest to reveal it to you. If you prefer, I will invent it whole cloth to surprise you. 

1: You were simply a passenger on a ship that got shipwrecked. Why and how you got on the ship is up to you (or me if you prefer) to decide. (Survival)
2: You're the child of a wealthy and powerful crime lord who rules a city with an iron fist. I will choose the city and their position/attitude to you. (Intimidation)
3: You were an assassin hired to kill anyone who would stand in the way of your employer. (Move Silently)
4: You and a close family member were attacked by a monster. Whether the member lived or died is up to you to decide. (Knowledge: Nature)
5: You were a student of a magic school who walked in on a master sage doing something unethical. They wiped your memory so that you wouldn't remember their heinous act (up to you to decide what... or perhaps you were the one doing the heinous act). (Knowledge: Arcana)
6: You were a priest who was just walking down the street before you got beaned in the head by a rock (or perhaps a group of thugs). (Religion)

However, if you want to decide that your Origin is critical to the campaign, then tell me what you are interested in - the scope, the potential direction of your origin, etc... but I will fill in the details and decide how to tie it together. You have the right to make suggestions during the campaign if something happens that intrigues you or bothers you. I will assign you a skill when I think it appropriate to have you remember it.

Feature

"Oh, I know that!":
Despite your amnesia, you clearly remember one specific field of knowledge, lore, or something else. Choose the knowledge skill you want your character to know and write it down on your character sheet. If you fail your Knowledge (History) roll regarding that field of knowledge, you can consult me for the answer regardless unless it is otherwise impossible to know about it (i.e. it's unknown to any scholar in the campaign world).

Suggested Characteristics

Amnesiacs are usually a wild card. Some want to continue living in blissful ignorance of who they are. Others are determined to find out who they are. How driven they are is up to you to decide.

Personality Trait

1: I like to do something to capture the current moment, be it writing down a poem or drawing a picture.
2: I keep a notebook of all the things I'm supposed to know so I won't forget them again.
3: I have a ribbon tied to my finger at all times... And I don't know why.
4: I get constant headaches when I want to think about my past.
5: I come up with a new story of who I was every time I am asked.
6: I worry that I'll forget the life I'm living right now.
7: I often think about who my family was and where I fitted in. I want a new family very much.
8: I don't want to pay close attention to my past.

Ideal

1: Beginning - "This is a new, fresh start for me!" (Any)
2: Placement - "I will become a helpful member of my community, both from my past and my new future." (Lawful)
3: Improvement - "In order for me to be better in the future, I must know about my past." (Good)
4: Neglect - "Why bother searching for my past? It's in the past, after all." (Neutral)
5: Freedom - "Having no memories means having no obligations." (Chaotic)
6: Advantage - "Once I find out who I was, I'll use it to take what I want." (Evil)

Bond

1: A kindly (old man/woman, young family, priest, etc...) took me in when they found me sick or injured and straying. I owe him/her/them a favor.
2: I had a lover in my past who wants me to come back to him/her. I barely remember his/her voice/words.
3: I hold onto my trinket, the only thing that I remember in my past.
4: The home I live in right now is the only home that matters to me.
5: I have a good idea who's responsible for my amnesia, and they will pay for it.
6: I remember only (tidbits about) one person from my past. He/she must hold the key to finding out about who I was.

Flaw

1: I will stop at nothing to find out who I was. I don't care who I hurt now while searching.
2: Every time I hit a dead end in learning of my past, I mentally shut down for a bit.
3: On top of forgetting my past, I also forget things on a daily basis, like eating and doing routine tasks.
4: I'm absent-minded, and rarely recognize or remember people I meet.
5: I will latch onto anything that will provide me at least an idea of who I was, even if it's an obvious trap.

6: I am pretty sure I did something bad before I lost my memory, and I'm fine with that/it grieves me deeply.

 

Charlatan

In Greenvale, charlatans often seek out larger cities such as Marig, Castleton, Newport and Elfort to perfect their trade, then sometimes head west when they realize the pickings are slim where there is so much competition. In Harothar, they find that the human cities are often better places to carry on their trade, as dwarves' clan bonds make it harder, though not impossible, to weasel their way into prized situations. In Narbada, a charlatan may find themselves forced to travel a great deal, as the small size of towns and cities gives them little cover.

 

Class Skills: Disguise, Sleight of Hand

Language: one racial language at 2 ranks, or reading/writing if not given by your class.

Equipment: a disguise kit and supplies necessary to carry out your preferred con (see below), and a belt pouch with 15 silver pennies. 

Social Status: 2 (low) or roll for a custom social status

 

Your preferred con or scam:

1. I cheat at games of chance (weighted dice or marked cards)

2. I shave coins or forge documents (forgery kit)

3. I tell false fortunes and speak with dead family members (crystal ball or fortune cards)

4. I change identities at the drop of a hat (multiple sets of clothes of several social classes)

5. I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners (ball and cups, one other magic trick of your choice)

6. I convince people to buy worthless junk or sell me their valuables for nothing. (balance scales and examining glass)

 

Feature: False Identity

You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and a disguise that allows you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge papers and personal letters for that person, so long as you have seen a document of that type in the past. 

 

Personality: 

1. I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing a new amor.

2. I have a joke for every occasion, especially when not appropriate.

3. Flattery is my preferred tactic for getting what I want.

4. I'm a born gambler who can't resist taking a risk for a big payoff.

5. I lie about everything, even when there's no good reason.

6. Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.

7. I keep multiple holy symbols on my person and pray to many gods constantly.

8. I pocket anything I see that might have some value.

 

Ideal

1. Independence: I owe no one, and no one owes me.

2. Fairness - I never target someone who can't afford to lose a few coins

3. Charity - I distribute my winnings to those who need it most

4. Creativity - running different cons keeps my creative juices going

5. Friendship - material things come and go. Friends are for life.

6. Aspiration - I'm determined to make something big of myself.

 

Bond

1. I fleeced the wrong person and must avoid them at all costs.

2. I owe everything to my mentor - but he's a horrible person. 

3. Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him/her.

4. I come from a noble family, and one day I'll reclaim my lands/title from those who usurped them.

5. A powerful person killed someone I loved. Someday I'll revenge myself on them.

6. I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for that deed.

 

Flaw

1. I can't resist a pretty face.

2. I'm always in debt to someone; I spend or lose money faster than I can bring it in.

3. I'[m convinced no one could ever fool me the way I fool others.

4. I'm too greedy for my own good. I can never pass up a good or bad con.

5. I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than I am.

6. I hate to admit it, but I will flee from trouble and leave my friends to save my life.

 

 

Criminal

In Greenvale, criminals, like charlatans, often begin their careers in the bigger towns. In the eastern half of Greenvale, this means they probably belong(ed) to the Marig Thieves' Guild, which controls "Old Greenvale". Further west, there are no guilds, but each town generally has an organized gang of some sort. In Miran, the Iron Ring controls almost all criminal activity; it is likely that anyone involved in crime was a member of one of their sub-groups. In Harothar, only Haroth and Harothport have a guild; all other criminal activity is pretty much freelance or small gangs. In Narbada there are few organized guilds or groups of criminals, and those that there are tend to be short-lived. Charlatans are far more likely to have learned their trade piecemeal, or be self-taught.

 

Class Skills: Gather Information, one skill appropriate to your criminal specialty (see below)

Languages: Read/write if not a class skill - otherwise pick one racial language at 2 ranks

Equipment: a crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood or hat, and a belt pouch with 3 silver pennies. 

Social Status: 2 (low) or roll if you want to see if your birth social status is different from your perceived status now.

 

Criminal Specialty:

1. blackmailer - sense motive

2. burglar - move silently

3. enforcer - intimidate

4. fence - appraise

5. highway robber - ride

6. hired killer - hide

7. pickpocket - sleight of hand

8. smuggler - survival

 

Feature: Criminal Contact

You have a reliable and trustworthy contact in your home community who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals. You know how to get messages to and from your contact, even over large distances (so long as you remain in your "home country"). Specifically, you know a messenger in every place you go within Greenvale, or Harothar or Miran, whichever you originated within.

 

Suggested Characteristics: 

Criminals tend to be unreliable, either due to their innate personality, or the circumstances they fall in to. They naturally turn to dishonest habits and shortcuts, and lying usually comes naturally to them. 

 

Personality Trait: 

1. I always have a plan for when things go wrong

2. I am always calm in every situation

3. The first thing I do in a new place is locate the valuables

4. I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy

5. I am incredbly slow to trust. Those who seem fairest often have the most to hide.

6. I don't pay attention to risks, only to rewards.

7. The best way to get me to do something is to tell me not to, or I can't do it.

8. I blow up at the slightest insult.

 

Ideal:

1. Honor - I don't steal from others in the trade.

2. Freedom - chains are meant to be broken, as are those who forge them.

3. Charity - I steal from the wealthy to feed the poor (and myself!)

4. Greed - I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy.

5. People - I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideal, and care about no one else.

6. Redemption - there's a spark of good in everyone

 

Bond:

1. I'm trying to pay off an old debt 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 get it back.

4. I will become the greatest thief that ever lived

5. I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I may be fleeing punishment, or hoping to redeem myself, or both.

6. Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.

Drifter

You've spent most of your life moving from place to place, never settling down in one location for long. Maybe your family was part of a traveling circus, or perhaps you are an outlaw on the run. As you've wandered, you've dealt with people of all backgrounds and from all walks of life. This background is particularly good for Shalani and Woodsfolk, though it could also apply to someone of almost any very low or low social background. There are not a few drifters in Terenor, lives disrupted by the civil war, finding it easier to move on than settle and form new bonds.

Skill Proficiencies: Bluff, Sense Motive

Languages:  Any two standard languages of your choice (your home country and another country or race: (Language page)

Equipment: A set of traveler's clothes, souvenirs from various places you've called home, belt pouch containing 15 sp

Social Status: 2 (low)

Feature

Contacts. You know someone (or someone knows you) in every place you've been to. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among people you know unless you've shown yourself to be a danger or too much of a nuisance to them. They will help you as much as they are able, but they will not risk their well-being for you. This feature is good only in your "home country". Shalani can always find their kind in Greenvale, Harothar, Avenvole or Laigladen. Woodsfolk can make a survival check to find their kind in the forests. 

Suggested Characteristics

Some drifters enjoy their wandering lifestyle, whereas others long for a place to call home. Whether they enjoy moving from place to place or yearn to settle down, the constant moving shapes a drifter's attitudes and ideals. Some develop an insatiable wanderlust and choose adventuring to fulfill it.

Personality Trait

1. I'm driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home. Given a choice, I will never settle down.
2. I enjoy traveling to new places and making new friends over drinks and a meal.
3. I am tolerant of other races, religions, and nationalities.
4. Sudden changes don't unsettle me. In fact, I'm invigorated by them.
5. I love to talk about the amazing places I've been and the interesting people I've met.
6. I get bored easily. What can I do next?
7. I collect souvenirs from every place I've been.
8. I always have a plan for when things go wrong.

Ideal

1. Freedom. I want to be able to go anywhere when the mood strikes me.
2. Independence. Sticking in one place too long makes you forget to rely on yourself.
3. Home. One day I will find a place to call home.
4. Knowledge. The best way to learn about the world is to experience it.
5. Change. Things are always changing. It's best to change with them.
6. Escape. They'll never catch me.

Bond

1. I come from a noble family. One day I'll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. (may or may not be true!)
2. I got on the bad side of the wrong person, and they will do anything to hunt me down.
3. I wish I did not have to leave my family behind.
4. I own little, but my honor and my word are my bond.
5. Where I lay my head is home, and I will fight to protect it.
6. I'm close to only a few people, but I will do anything for them.

Flaw

1. I don't always mean to, but I start trouble when I'm bored.
2. Don't ever lend me money. I forget to pay it back.
3. I'm always falling in love with someone I meet, but never commit to them.
4. Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends.
5. I will never fully trust anyone other than myself.
6. I envy people who call one place home, and I can't hide my resentment.

Entertainer (gladiator)

In Greenvale, most entertainers are either trained by their master, and follow directly in his or her footsteps, or were trained at the Belflame Music College in Jerint. If trained at the Music College, the PC may also want to look at the Academy Graduate background. Gladiators will almost always be from Miran or the Southern Isles, where gladiatorial combat is more common than in Greenvale or Harothar. You thrive in front of an audience, and always wish to show off to others. In Terenor, there is no musical school or academy, but there is a group of loosely affiliated musicians and entertainers called the Gilded Flame, who train apprentices and offer each other protection in troubled times. Gladiator is a fancy word for back-room brawler in Terenor.

 

Class Skills: Perform (any), and either Balance, Jump, or Ride

Language: no bonus language

Equipment: a musical instrument or other tool of the performer's trade, a favor from a lover (past or present), and an entertainer's outfit. 5 silver pennies in a belt pouch.

Social Status: entertainer 3 (middle class); gladiator 1 (very low) - generally they are considered mere thugs.

 

Entertainer type:

1. Actor/Orator          6. Instrumentalist

2. Dancer                   7. Gladiator

3. Fire-eater               8. Singer

4. Jester                      9. Storyteller/poet

5. Juggler                   10. Acrobat/tumbler

 

Feature: By Popular Demand

You can always find a place to perform, usually an inn or tavern, but possibly a street corner, at a fair or market, with a circus, in a theater or noble's court, etc... At such places, you receive free room and board (at a modest or comfortable standard of living), as the venue demands. In addition, you gain a reputation in the locale, to a degree that matches the caliber of your performance skill. Most locals and even a few strangers will recognize you and you may even be recognized (usually favorably) when you travel to a new, nearby locale. If you have chosen the Gladiator entertainer subtype, then you are able to find places to fight (this includes unarmed brawling or boxing) and can replace the musical instrument in your Equipment package with an unusual weapon such as a trident or whip (but you are not automatically proficient with this weapon).

 

Suggested Characteristics: Entertainers are, first and foremost, showmen. Wherever they go, they are ready to show off, to perform for an audience, to make themselves memorable in the eyes of their audience, to impress with their skills, and to keep people happy and satisfied.

 

Personality:

1. I know a story relevant to most every situation

2. Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumor and spread news.

3. I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone".

4. Nobody stays angry around me for long; I can defuse almost every situation.

5. I love a good insult, even one directed at me.

6. I get bitter or restless if I'm not the center of attention.

7. I'll settle for nothing less than perfection

8. I cange my mood or my mind almost as quickly as I change tunes.

 

Ideal:

1. Beauty: when I perform, I make the world better.

2. Tradition - the stories, legends and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are.

3. Creativity - the world is in need of new ideas and bold action.

4. Greed - I'm in it for the money and the fame.

5. People - the joy of the audience is my sole pleasure.

6. Honesty - Art reveals who we truly are; it is direct from our soul.

 

Bond:

1. My instrument is my most treasured possession; it reminds me of a lost love.

2. Someone stole my most precious instrument (or the song I wrote) and someday I must get it back.

3. I want to be famous, no matter what it takes.

4. I idolize a hero of the old tales, and measure my deeds against his/hers.

5. I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival.

6. I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe.

 

Flaw:

1. I'll do anything to win fame and renown.

2. I'm a sucker for a pretty face.

3. a scandal prevents me from ever going home again, and sometimes follows me.

4. I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake I may well repeat.

5. I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden.

6. Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends.

 

Farmer/Fisherman

You have worked the land and hand-raised livestock from birth to feed the mouths of many. As a farmer, you woke up before the sun and came in from working the fields after it set, or you pulled fishing lines/nets from the sea/river all day or night, in clear weather or storm. You have left behind a mundane life to seek adventure for thrill or fame or fortune. Work with me to determine the types of livestock and crops you had on your farm. In Greenvale, it might have been pigs and corn, or perhaps you raised fungi and dungeon bunnies in Harothar for the dwarves. In Miran, a cotton plantation or if you are from the Southern Isles, sugar cane or subtropical fruit.

Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Knowledge (Nature)

Language Proficiency: none

Equipment: A relative’s recipe for homemade stew, a week's rations, an iron pot, 50 feet of hemp rope, 2 silver pennies' worth of trade goods (your choice), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch with 10 silver pennies. 

Social Status: 2 (low)

Feature

Farmhand: When you are not adventuring you are able to provide a modest lifestyle for yourself by working on another’s farm or fishing spot. You might sleep in the hayloft, on a boat or in a bunkhouse. By working this way, you also ingratiate yourself to the farm owner, who gives you free food for your adventures. Before leaving on an adventure you are given enough food for yourself and your party to eat for a week while traveling and adventuring. (Note: this will not happen in situations where food has become a prized commodity due to famine, etc...)

Suggested Characteristics

Farmers and fisherfolk are defined by the simple life – you haven’t had as much excitement in your life as others. Before your adventuring career began, you may never have traveled more than 5 miles from your home. A farmer could be eager, scared, naive, boastful, or all of those, but all are defined by their strong connection to the farm/countryside in which they were raised.

Personality Trait

1. I really enjoy talking about and spending time with domesticated animals.
2. I have a catch phrase which I use whenever I am surprised.
3. I often lose the point of the story I am telling.
4. I have a nervous tick which I can’t control when I am scared or excited.
5. I often sing the songs of my homeland without provocation.
6. I look forward to eating and enjoy every bite of every meal.
7. I stare openly at that which I have never seen before.
8. I laugh very loudly and clap my hands whenever I am amused.

Ideal

1. Manners. I conduct myself in public with the utmost respect for all people around me. (Lawful)
2. Generosity. I am happy to share whatever I have with those less fortunate. (Good)
3. Destiny. I was meant for more than the simple life, and must always keep that in mind when choosing my actions. (Neutral)
4. Faith. I left the farm to bring my religion/values/belief to others. (Any)
5. Freedom. I want to experience everything I can. (Chaotic)
6. Knowledge. I am learning everything I can about the world. (Any)

Bond

1. My dog/pet ran away/died/was injured when I was irresponsible with its care. Now I am overcareful of my responsibilities.
2. My parents have fallen on hard times and I have vowed to help them repair the farm/ buy a new boat.
3. My best friend is betrothed to the woman I secretly love. I will always help the loser in love.
4. I will get vengeance on the monsters who destroyed my village.
5. I can only get my favorite food in the region of my birth, and I'm always looking for something as good.
6. I have a prize farm animal I love to show off to others.

Flaw

1. I sometimes wander off without telling anyone where I am going.
2. I am easily fooled and believe whatever I am told.
3. I lie to others to appear more experienced than I am.
4. I ask rude, abrasive questions of strangers.
5. I spend coin too quickly.
6. I do not open my mind to the ethics and morals of others.

Fey-snatched

The faerie-folk once claimed you as their own. Perhaps when you were an infant you were swapped with a duplicate, a changeling, and no one ever noticed the difference. Perhaps as a child you were seduced by them as they lured you into their twilight world (the Feywild). You partook of their food and drink, and had no choice but to become their mortal plaything, to be called and dismissed at a whim. But you escaped their enchanted clutches and eventually found your way back home—but as you quickly discovered, home isn’t what it used to be anymore.

Skill Proficiencies: Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge (Nature), Perform (any)

Languages: Sylvan/Woodsfolk and another language of your choice.

Equipment: A set of clothes that normal people would deem as “fancy”, hand mirror, hooded lantern, a bejeweled trinket worth up to 20 silver pennies.

Social Status: roll to find birth social status

Customization

The Return: It is a rare thing indeed for a mortal abducted by the fey to break free. Choose or randomly determine how you returned back to the mortal world.

1: I found a secret pathway out of the Feywild on my own.
2: I tinkered with fey magic to get me out of there.
3: Mortal abductees such as myself aided my escape.
4: My fey master got bored and threw me out like garbage.
5: No clue—one moment I was there, the next moment I was here.
6: One of the fey took pity on me and helped me return home.
7: Someone outside of the fey realm used magic to pull me back.
8: Someone who wasn’t a fey paid a ransom for my release.

Feature

Knowing the Secret Places: Your time in the demesnes of the fey has allowed you to learn a bit of their strange ways, even if you still can’t quite understand them fully. You can immediately identify if a hidden pathway leads to a fey realm, or if a certain area or event harbors the traces of fey activity. Additionally, you can easily find shelter and gather a day’s worth of sustenance for yourself (and yourself alone) when you travel in the wilderness where mortal civilization is nearly nonexistent.

Suggested Characteristics

All too often, the fey-snatched find themselves disoriented in a world that seems so “normal.” Time has not been kind to them; what may seem to be only a few days in the world of the fey may have been years in the realm of mortals, or vice versa. Worse, characters who were swapped with a changeling might find that their families never noticed the change, and having two versions of one person might cause problems on its own.

Personality Trait

1: I am drawn to secret places in the wilderness.
2: Being around children (and protecting them) brings me joy.
3: I often wonder if the people I talk to are people I knew from before I was kidnapped.
4: I’m obsessed with looking for “fairies.”
5: They want me back, I’m sure of it. That’s why I take a lot of precautions so they won’t get me again.
6: Stories about the faerie-folk either make me really fascinated or really annoyed.
7: I like to learn more about everyday mortal culture, since I’ve been a fey thrall for a really long time.
8: I’m frustrated that my family doesn’t realize their child is a fake duplicate of me.

Ideal

1: Self-identity. My mortality is best lived without the fey. (Chaotic)
2: Vengeance. One less fey is one less mortal taken away. Destroy them and all their secret places. (Evil)
3: Separation. The mortal world cannot find order if the capricious fey constantly interfere. (Lawful)
4: Cautionary Tale. Don’t trust strangers, no matter how beautiful they appear. (Neutral)
5: Reclamation. My childhood was stolen, and I want to regain what I lost. (Any)
6: Forgiveness. Make peace with those who stole your life, and start anew. (Good)

Bond

1: Something (or someone) I cherished was left in the fey realms, and I want to get it (or them) back.
2: I have an iron device meant to capture (or slay) my cruel fey master.
3: My changeling double needs my help in some way or another.
4: I long for the foods of the fey, and try to find ways of getting them in the mundane world.
5: The world needs to know where all these fey paths and faerie realms are. A map would be nice.
6: I don’t know why, but I feel the need to return to the world of the fey.

Flaw

1: Is it strange and frustrating for you that I only speak in questions?
2: I don’t want to sleep alone because I’m afraid they might steal me again.
3: Animals such as dogs, cats or horses flee from me.
4: I am very careful of what I eat and drink; the wrong thing could pull me back into the feywild.
5: Being in large towns or cities makes me nauseous.
6: I don’t go out in public unless I have a wreath of fresh flowers/leaves on my head.

Folk Hero

At this time, in Greenvale, it is likely that any Folk Hero gained his fame in the Dragon Wars, which took nearly 5 years to win, and which ended some 5 years ago, or in the long recovery period afterwards, when there was much work driving out the orcs and goblins who tried to invade. In Miran, a folk-hero is likely to be someone who helps the downtrodden, perhaps slaves or freedmen, against the oppressive government. If so, he probably uses some sort of disguise. In Harothar, those who guard the borders against evils in the wild are often raised to folk-hero status if they do something impressive. In Terenor, they may have done something heroic during one of the many recent skirmishes of the ongoing Civil War, or perhaps they performed some non-war-based heroic feat of strength or courage.

 

Folk heroes are those who, despite humble background, and lack of training or proper equipment, managed to do a great deed or deeds in defense of their community, or even for complete strangers. See below for some types of defining events.

 

Class Skills: Animal Handling, Survival

Languages: none additional

Equipment: a set of craftsman's tools of your choice, a few other workman's tools such as rope, shovel and axe, etc... a commoner's outfit, and a few (3) silver pennies.

Social Status: 3 (middle - you were born low, most likely, but have been elevated due to your actions)

 

Defining Event

1. I stood up to a tyrant, tax collector or commanding officer who was out of line.

2. I saved my people from a natural disaster.

3. I stood (nearly) alone against a terrible monster or monsters, as when a bugbear ambushed our troop.

4. I stole something significant from the wealthy and gave the proceeds to the poor.

5. I led a militia in defense of a community that was otherwise defenseless in the face of orcs or invaders.

6. I carried a message or desperately needed goods through enemy lines or over a long, dangerous distance.

7. I trained the peasantry to use farm implements to defend themselves.

8. I rescued children or other defenseless folk from a band of invading orcs/a fire/ a flood.

 

Feature: Rustic Hospitality - you fit in with the common people, and they admire you for your deeds on their behalf. You can always find a place to rest, recouperate or even hide amongst the commoners, unless you show yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else seeking you, though they will not risk their lives for you. 

 

Suggested Characteristics: Folk heroes are people who truly care about the underdog, the less-privileged, and those who cannot defend themselves. They're ready to help, or believe they can make a difference, and are willing to help others do the same.

 

Personality:

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

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

3. When I decide to do something, I do it. No matter what.

4. I'm always looking for the fairest way to resolve complex situations

5. I'm sure of what I can do, and what others around me are capable of doing, and I can always show others this.

6. I'm an action person, not a planner or plotter.

7. I may speak plainly, but I always get my point across.

8. I'm easily bored by waiting around. I want action!

 

Ideal: 

1. Respect: people desere to be treated with dignity no matter their station.

2. Fairness - No one should get preferential treatment without first proving their worth.

3. Freedom - tyrants must not be allowed to opress the people.

4. Might - If I become strong, I can take what I want and deserve.

5. Sincerity - There's no good pretending to be what I'm not.

6. Destiny - nothing and no one can stop me.

 

Bond: 

1. I have a family, somewhere, and someday I will find them again.

2. I am a part of the land, and so I shall always be its protector

3. I was bullied all my life, and I will no longer tolerate it.

4. The tools of my trade are my tie to my common roots and I will never abandon them.

5. I am the defender of those who cannot defend themselves

6. My childhood sweetheart awaits me, back home, when I have fulfilled my destiny.

 

Flaw:

1. I have resisted tyranny to the point of being outlawed.

2. My destiny blinds me to my own failings.

3. I can never go back "there"; they'd reveal my shameful secret.

4. I avoid big city life because I have a weakness for wine, women and song.

5. I secretly believe I would be a better ruler than those currently in power.

6. I have stood against evil alone for so long that I find trusting others difficult.

 

 

Guild Artisan/Merchant

In Greenvale, every town boasts a few merchant and artisan guilds, and just about every merchant or craftsman of any wealth or skill is a member. There are also caravan trading "costers", which are managed by their own guild, who put together the caravans which are the lifeblood of trade between the populated regions of Miraboria. Even the Shalani sometimes belong to these guilds, finding that it offers them protection and legal representation they would otherwise lack. In Terenor, you are a member of a craft or mercantile guild which trained you and is responsible for your behavior, unless or until you are publicly repudiated.

 

Class Skills: Appraise, one Craft or Profession Skill (that matches your "guild business" choice below)

Languages: One racial or origin language (mirani, harothan, elvish, dwarvish, marchat, or something odder) that is not your own.

Equipment: a set of artisan's tools of your choice, a letter of introduction from your guild, an artisan's outfit, and a pouch with 15 sp. (If you are a merchant rather than an artisan, you can start with a mule and cart instead of artisan's tools. Your business below is your marketing specialty.)

Social Status: Randomly generate it: 2 (low) - you failed your journeyman test, or withdrew from your apprenticeship before it was completed, or were kicked out of your mercantile trade for some perceived wrongdoing, or simply left for personal reasons. 3 (middle) - you're a journeyman who is out to establish your own name. 4 (distinguished) - your family are leaders in your guild, with wealth and position you can call upon.

 

Guild Business: choose a guild below, suitable to the skill you chose above. You may roll randomly if you wish.

1	Alchemist/Apothecary	2	Armorer, locksmith, finesmith
3	Brewer, distiller, vintner	4	Calligrapher, scribe
5.	Carpenter, Roofer, plasterer	6	cartographer, surveyor, chart-maker
7.	Cobbler, shoemaker	8.	Cook, baker
9.	Glassblower, Glazier	10.	Jeweler, gemcutter
11.	leatherworker, skinner, tanner	12.	mason, stonecutter
13.	painter, limner, signmaker	14.	potter, tilemaker
15.	shipwright, sailmaker	16.	smith, metalworker
17.	tinkers, pewterers and casters	18.	wagonmaker, wheelright, barrelmaker, woodworker
19.	weaver, dyer, spinner	20.	seamstress, tailor, lacemaker, embroiderer

 

Note that this list barely touches on many medieval skills, and the player is welcome to suggest or select another trade (ropemaker, salter, etc...) with DM approval. As a trained guild artisan you know the skills needed to create finished items from raw materials as reflected by your craft or profession skill and the tools you are equipped with. You also know the basics of buying and selling in your trade. 

 

Feature: You can rely on your guild membership for certain benefits whenever you are in a settled community. Your fellow guild members will provide you with a place to live and food to eat, and would pay for your funeral expenses, if needed. In some cities and towns, there will be a guildhall where you can conduct business, meet clients, friends, patrons, etc... Guilds often weild political power in their towns; if you are accused of wrongdoing, you may depend on your guild to support you in clearing your name, or accessing political figures in the community. Some such connections and services might require a donation or payment of dues to the guild.

 

Suggested Characteristics: Guild Artisans and Merchants are practical people who understand trade, commerce, and craft. They tend to be good communicators and negotiators as well as to be knowledgeable in at least their own field, if not similar or connected areas of expertise. 

 

Personality: 

1. I am a perfectionist - if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

2. If you cannot appreciate fine art and workmanship, you are an uneducated boor.

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

4. I have a saying or proverb for every occasion

5. I'm rude to people who lack my work ethic

6. I like to talk at length about my profession

7. I believe in driving a good bargain (and then some).

8. I'm well-known for my work, and I enjoy hearing it!

 

Ideal:

1. Community - strengthen community bonds to create security and safety.

2. Generosity - I use my gift of skill to support those less able than myself.

3. Freedom - everone should be free to pursue their own livelihood.

4. Greed - I'm in it for the money

5. People - I'm committed to the people I care about, not to any ideals.

6. Aspiration - I work hard to be the very best at my craft.

 

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 of it. I'm still looking for someone worthy.

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

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

5. One day I will return to my guild and prove that I'm the greatest artisan ever. 

6. I will get revenge one day on the (evil) forces that destroyed my guild hall/business.

 

Flaw: 

1. I'll do anything to get my hands on rare/priceless craft materials.

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

3. No one must ever learn that I once stole money from the guild's 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.

 

Harvester

You were a lumberjack, miner, deep sea fisherman or had another profession which gathers resources nature created. Nature has a lot to offer, and you saw taking those resources as a way to make a living. This kind of labor is hard work, which shaped the person you became today.

Class Skills: Animal Handling, Knowledge: Nature, or Survival, your choice

Languages: select one non-human language that you would have encountered in your natural environment (fey, merfolk, grippli, etc...)

Equipment: A work knife, 50 feet of hemp rope, an ancient trinket found in the wilderness, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies.

Social Status: 2 (low)

Customization

Decide the nature of your profession (or roll on the table below), the specific resource you harvested, and decide why you left this life to make a career as an adventurer.

1. Miner of non-precious metals/ores/coal/salt, or other common materials
2. Miner of gems/precious materials (gold, silver, etc...)
3. Lumberjack
4. quarryman/clay digger/salt panner
5. Deep sea/coastal/river fisherman
6. Fur Trapper/ huntsman

Feature

You know the value of goods. When you find common goods and materials that would be used in your trade, you know their value, you know how to sell or trade them for other materials, or coin, and you can always find a buyer or seller for common goods that you might want. You are also better at evaluating rare or exotic (not magical) goods that relate to your trade; you gain a +3 on any roll to appraise such materials.

Suggested Characteristics

Whether you value a hard day’s work or not, you know what that kind of life is like. While some harvesters can be lazy and do what they can to get out of work, many are the first to step up and perform a task that needs to be done, even if it requires a few hours of backbreaking labor. Often a harvester is proud of the work that they do, but some have changes of heart and believe people are taking too much and that soon nature will revolt against them.

Personality Trait

1. I am always telling people that I work harder than anyone else I know and I believe it.
2. I am usually worried about money.
3. I prefer to listen to the opinions of everyone else before I give my own.
4. I enjoy learning about new technologies in my field.
5. I believe every good job deserves a good reward.
6. When I am in large crowds of people I am fidgety and uncomfortable.
7. I am always using sayings my parents told me.
8. I love a good joke or story.

Ideal

1. People. My friends and family come before everyone else. (Neutral)
2. Power. I take from the land as I would take anything from anyone too weak to resist. (Evil)
3. Community. When I work with a team I am stronger and collect more rewards than I would alone. (Good)
4. Survival. I earn everything I get and others need to do the same. (Neutral)
5. Generosity. The rewards I get from the land are for all to share. (Good)
6. Creativity. I don’t care how I approach a job, as long as it gets done. (Chaos)

Bond

1. I plan to be married to my beloved as soon as I have enough money.
2. My prize harvest was stolen by a rival and I am still tracking it/him down.
3. My best friend is in prison for a crime he did not commit.
4. I will restore the lands/waters from which I/my people took too much.
5. I always have a job waiting for me back home.
6. My work gloves/tools were given to me by a family member who was also in the business and has now passed away.

Flaw

1. I often drink too much when I feel I’ve worked hard.
2. I do not give in, even when I know I am wrong.
3. I secretly worry about the effect my/my people's harvests have on the land.
4. I borrow money with no intention of paying it back.
5. I do not ask for help when I need it.
6. I make fun of people for not knowing the things I know.

Hermit

There are monasteries scattered all across Greenvale, where hermetic scholars and recluses can find shelter. Some are true hermitages, where each resident dwells alone, isolated from all other contact, and lay-followers care for their daily needs, while others are communal residences. In Harothar, organized hermitages are much rarer, but isolated communities often have a scholar or priest who dwells in partial withdrawal from social contact. In Miran, it is not uncommon for families to immure a member who is feared to be either a magic-user or to harbor anti-governmental sentiments. These involuntary hermits live secluded lives of despair, from which they would eagerly escape if they could. In Terenor, you probably were a member of a minor religious cult, and dedicated yourself to silence and isolation either to increase your religiousity or to escape it.

Class Skills: Heal, Knowledge (Religion), Read and Write

Languages: select one rare or ancient language from the following: First Empire Miraborian, 2nd Empire Miraborian, Ancient Dwarvish, Draconic 

Equipment: Monk's or Scholar's Outfit, Healer's Kit, bedroll, pouch with 10 sp in it.

Feature: Discovery

The quiet seclusion of your extended stay as a hermit has given you access to a rare and special type of knowledge. It may be a philosophical revelation, a historical discovery, knowledge of the whereabouts or fate of a historical personage or object, or the realization of where some forgotten/hidden place lies. It could also be a political or social secret that the powers that be wish to keep concealed. Work with me to determine what you know and how it will affect the overall campaign.

Suggested Characteristics: no one type of personality fits a hermit; some are awkward and unsocial, others isolated themselves (or were isolated by others) for other reasons entirely, and are now happy to reintegrate into society. 

 

Personality Trait:

1. I've been isolated so long that I rarely speak; I prefer gestures and brief words or sounds.

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

3. The leader of my commune had something wise to say on every occasion, and I'm eager to share that wisdom.

4. I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer.

5. Social rules and manners are foreign to me.

6. There is a grand, cosmic plan in existence, and all that happens relates to it.

7. I am easily distracted by new things, or get lost in contemplation, losing my train of thought or becoming oblivious to danger.

8. My grand philosophical treatise is nearly complete. I just need help with a few more ideas!

Ideal:

1. Greater Good; everything I do is for the good of all, and all I have is to be shared.

2. Logic; it is most critical to be logical, not emotional, in our decisions.

3. Free-thinking; inquiry and curiosity are the most important traits for finding wisdom.

4. Power: my ultimate goal is to find the key to mystical or magical power over the world.

5. Live and let live - meddling in others' lives only causes trouble.

6. Self-knowledge; once you know yourself, you know all.

Bond:

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

2. I entered seclusion to hide from those who might still be hunting me. Someday I will confront them.

3. I'm still seeking enlightenment, 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 spell doom for the world.

6. My isolation gave me great insight into an evil that only I can destroy or prevent.

Flaw: 

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

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

3. I'm dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophies.

4. I let my need to win arguments override my need for harmony.

5. I'd risk everything to uncover another secret bit of knowledge.

6. I like keeping secrets and do not share them willingly.

Lover

You have always had a way with the gentlemen and/or ladies, depending on your preference. You've made your way through life by drifting from one romantic entanglement to another, although many of them may have been quite shallow. You might have children you don't know about, and you certainly have left a trail of broken hearts behind you. 

Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies:  Any one musical instrument

Languages: Any one

Equipment: Three love letters from different lovers, token to give a lover, grooming kit, 4 candles, blanket, bottle of wine, basket of strawberries, tinderbox, fancy-looking common clothes, leather pouch with 25 sp

Social Status: roll but reroll any 1 (very low) result

Feature: Lover's Dance
You are usually able to find food and lodging by seducing someone when you are in a community of any real size. You have a knack for finding appropriate targets for your flirtations. However, you sometimes cross paths with old lovers, whose stance regarding you may vary from nostalgia to murderous rage.

Suggested Characteristics: A Lover is likely to have traveled from place to place, as leaving a string of broken hearts behind you may lead to being driven out of town. Some Lovers merely use their paramours, while others truly love them, but are fickle.

Personality Trait

1 --- I fall in and out of love at the drop of a hanky.
2 --- I admire poetry, song and art.
3 --- I appear to think very highly of myself, yet am secretly insecure.
4 --- I don't take life seriously, and make jokes and japes constantly.
5 --- I have a secret wish to die dramatically for a cause (or for love).
6 --- I use flattery to try to ingratiate myself with everyone.
7 --- I am distrustful of everyone.
8 --- When I have money, I am generous and like to treat others with it.

Ideal

1 --- Love. I believe that love can conquer all, and that it is the best way to solve problems. (Good)
2 --- Pleasure. It is right to do that which brings oneself the most pleasure. (Chaotic)
3 --- Independence. I am a free spirit- no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
4 --- Manipulation. I love to toy with other peoples' emotions. (Evil)
5 --- Loyalty. I do everything I do in service to a higher organization or goal. (Lawful)
6 --- Social Advancement. I will advance to a higher station in society. (Any)

Bond

1 --- My parents/siblings depend on me for their needs, and I won't let them down.
2 --- I still pay frequent visits to the spot where I first made love to the first person I loved, before they were taken from me. Now that site holds precious memories for me.
3 --- Though there may be others, one of my children is more precious to me than life itself.
4 --- I would do anything to protect a member of the gender of my preference.
5 --- I will not fight one with whom I have shared my hospitality, nor one who has shared his or her hospitality with me.
6 --- I believe in the superiority of my own culture over others, both those of other races and those of other cultures within my race.

Flaw

1 --- If the opportunity to sleep with someone of my preferred race(s) and gender(s) comes up, I'll put aside my responsibilities to pursue it.
2 --- I'm not entirely clear on when to take 'No' for an answer.
3 --- I judge members of my preferred race(s) and gender(s) on a very shallow, superficial basis.
4 --- I have a hard time controlling my drinking.
5 --- At the most inappropriate moments, I tell highly off-color jokes.
6 --- I am convinced of my handsomeness or beauty and think that others will give me my way because of my looks.
7 --- When someone else is trying to make a move on a lady or gentleman that is my type, I always swoop in to try to steal him or her away for myself.
8 --- I refuse to take responsibility for the broken hearts and children I leave in my wake, and might even refuse to acknowledge any children.

Noble (knight)

Nobles, in Greenvale, are typically the immediate family members of the Prince, the Duke, one of the Counts of Greenvale, or of a high church member (High priest or priestess of a major temple, for example) - Noble is the highest social rank in Greenvale, and is further defined on the backgrounds page.

In Greenvale, there are two types of knights: unlanded and landed knights of the crown; they are men and women knighted by the Prince or the Duke or one of the Counts of Greenvale. They owe their loyalty to the crown, and are considered to be "gentry". Many rule a small fief (landed knights). Those who do not typically accompany a noble on his duties and follow his orders. Knights of the Temples of Greenvale are also fairly common. These young men and women, often the younger sons of barons, knights, Counts and other noble or gentle families swear themselves to a specific religious order.

In Narbada a noble - particularly a knight - is a person who has sworn fealty to a baron, earl or the King; they hold at least a seigneury - the chance they are an adventurer is slim to none, unless they have been displaced from their land during the Civil War that is currently raging. If so, then they are still tied by their oath, unless for some reason their overlord has disavowed them. A knight or seigneur who is roaming freely will likely have an underlying mission they are attempting to perform for their lord or lady.

Class Skills: Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Diplomacy

Language Proficiency: none

Starting Equipment: Courtier's Outfit, Traveler's Outfit, signet ring, 25 sp in a belt pouch.

Social Status: 4 (distinguished) or 5 (Noble) - work with me to decide

Feature: Position of Privilege 

Thanks to your high ranking birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are able to move in society freely; commoners attempt to accomodate you, and people of high birth treat you as a member of their social sphere. You can secure an audience with local noble or gentle families when needed, and can find shelter with them as well for themselves and their retinue, for days or even weeks at a time.

A second set of Knightly Personality traits to choose from or alter to suit your taste:

Personality Trait

1. I am the epitome of chivalry, gracious to men and women alike - especially those less fortunate than myself.
2. I am something of a dandy, and dislike getting my hands dirty.
3. I enjoy nothing more than a challenge; overcoming adversity is my greatest pleasure.
4. Solemn and thoughtful, my every act and word is guided by my knowledge of law and history.
5. I am always optimistic and cheerful, however dire the circumstances. In fact, the worse the situation, the more cheerful I feel!
6. I believe in my personal Right to Knighthood and know that I am better than those beneath me. This does not endear me to them.

Ideal

1. Chivalry. I seek at all times to help the oppressed and downtrodden, whatever the cost. (Good)
2. Honor. I strive to perfect (or restore) the (lost) honor of my family name. (Any)
3. Glory. My greatest glory will be to die in combat against impossible odds. Any)
4. Respect. All those around me will show me the respect and deference that I deserve. (Evil)
5. Law. I believe in the oaths I have sworn to uphold, and their absolute rightness. (Law)
6. Sacrifice. I will give my life to protect my allies without hesitation. (Good)

Bond

1. I seek my family's greatest heirloom, lost in the mists of time.
2. I will not retreat from battle; death, without doubt, is preferable to dishonor.
3. My liege lord's commands must be obeyed without hesitation.
4. I will avenge a past insult or injury to my family or its name.
5. I have a sworn enemy, a rival in the joust and on the battlefield. We have clashed many times; one day one of us will be victorious.
6. I swore to a life of simplicity until I achieve my life's goal.

Flaw

1. I am overbearing and haughty. My upbringing makes it difficult for me to relax with others.
2. My sense of honor borders on stupidity; I will always take the honorable option rather than the sensible option.
3. My privileged upbringing has not taught me the value of money. I an spendthrift and wasteful.
4. I cannot accept anything other than the best food, lodging, and gear available to me.
5. My dedication to law is so rigid that I am unable to see gray areas. The world is simply right-and-wrong, in stark contrast, and I am utterly sure that I am on the side of right.
6. I am dismissive and rude to those of lower rank than myself, especially shopkeepers, tavern owners, grooms, and servants.
7. I am boastful, and frequently make untrue claims about my accomplishments.
8. I am naive as to the ways of the world; my knowledge all comes from books and tutors.

Outlander

Sage

The sage is a scholar who may or may not belong to any organized group, academy or university. Often he or she studies alone, doing research into whatever esoteric topic has seized his or her interest. In Greenvale, they might be associated with the House of Ivorr, or with the Red Mages, or they might reside at Candlekeep, near Auldfort in Highscar County, or they might be part of the Belfleur School of Music in Jerint, or, most likely, they are independent of any such affiliation, and merely gather their knowledge for their own use.

In Harothar, the Underhill Mage's School produces many wizards, but also boasts a large, fine library which draws many scholars to study there.

In Miran, magic is outlawed, and scholars must be ever-wary of becoming too intrigued by anything which hints of sorcerous knowledge, but still there are Universities in most of the larger cities and towns, where history, statesmanship, philosophy and the arts are all studied and debated. It is best for any scholar to be openly affiliated with such a university, and to guide their studies into innocuous channels.

In Terenor/Narbada, you are likely to have been raised in a Noble or Seigneurial household, but for whatever reason decided not to stay and pursue a position there. 

Class Skills: any two knowledge skills of your choice (note that these combined skills represent your field of expertise for your researcher skill below)

Language Proficiency: any two of your choice

Equipment: a small blank book or sheaf of loose paper/parchment, a bottle of ink, a set of quill pens and pen-knife, notes on a particular question you have not yet answered, and a scholar's outfit. 10 sp in a belt pouch.

Sailor (pirate)