Acolyte Insight, Religion Description You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power. Choose a god, a pantheon of gods, or some other quasi-divine being, and work with your DM to detail the nature of your religious service. The Gods of the Multiverse section contains a sample pantheon, from the Forgotten Realms setting. Were you a lesser functionary in a temple, raised from childhood to assist the priests in the sacred rites? Or were you a high priest who suddenly experienced a call to serve your god in a different way? Perhaps you were the leader of a small cult outside of any established temple structure, or even an occult group that served a fiendish master that you now deny. • 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: Player's Handbook p. 127 Feature: Shelter of the Faithful 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Charlatan Deception, Sleight Of Hand Description You have always had a way with people. You know what makes them tick, you can tease out their hearts' desires after a few minutes of conversation, and with a few leading questions you can read like they were children's books. It's a useful talent, and one that you're perfectly willing to use for your advantage You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that sound too good to be true, but common sense seems to be in short supply when you're around. The bottle of pink-colored liquid will surely cure that unseemly rash, this ointment–nothing more than a bit of fat with a sprinkle of silver dust–can restore youth and vigor, and there's a bridge in the city that just happens to be for sale. These marvels sound implausible, but you can make them sound like the real deal. • Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Forgery kit • Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 128 Feature: False Identity You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, 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. Favorite Schemes Every charlatan has an angle he or she uses in preference to other schemes. Choose a favorite scam or roll on the table below. d6 | Scam 1 | I cheat at games of chance. 2 | I shave coins or forge documents. 3 | I insinuate myself into people's lives to prey on their weakness and secure their fortunes. 4 | I put on new identities like clothes. 5 | I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 | I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money. Suggested Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone. 2 | I have a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate. 3 | Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want. 4 | I'm a born gambler who can't resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 | I lie about almost everything, even when there's no reason to. 6 | Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice. 7 | I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. 8 | I pocket anything I see that might have some value. d6 | Ideal 1 | Independence. I am a free spirit—no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) 2 | Fairness. I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful) 3 | Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) 4 | Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) 5 | Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good) 6 | Aspiration. I'm determined to make something of myself. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about. 2 | I owe everything to my mentor—a horrible person who's probably rotting in jail somewhere. 3 | Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him or her. 4 | I come from a noble family, and one day I'll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. 5 | A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I'll have my revenge. 6 | I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself. d6 | Flaw 1 | I can't resist a pretty face. 2 | I'm always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in. 3 | I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others. 4 | I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist taking a risk if there's money involved. 5 | I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me. 6 | I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I'll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough. Criminal Deception, Stealth Description You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You're far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society. • 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: Player's Handbook p. 129 Feature: Criminal Contact 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. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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 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. Entertainer Acrobatics, Performance Description You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humor cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life. • Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument • Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), costume clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 130 Feature: By Popular Demand You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you. Specialty A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer. d10 | Routines 1 | Actor 2 | Dancer 3 | Fire-eater 4 | Jester 5 | Juggler 6 | Instrumentalist 7 | Poet 8 | Singer 9 | Storyteller 10 | Tumbler Suggested Characteristics Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience's attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. They're inclined toward the romantic and often cling to high-minded ideals about the practice of art and the appreciation of beauty. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. 2 | Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip. 3 | I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone". 4 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. 5 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. 6 | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention. 7 | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. 8 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. d6 | Ideal 1 | Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good) 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral) 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love. 2 | Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back. 3 | I want to be famous, whatever it takes. 4 | I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's. 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. d6 | 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. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around. 4 | I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat. 5 | I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble. 6 | Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends. Folk Hero Animal Handling, Survival Description You come from a humble social rank, but you are destined for so much more. Already the people of your home village regard you as their champion, and your destiny calls you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. • Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival • Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land) • Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 131 Feature: Rustic Hospitality Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you. Specialty You previously pursued a simple profession among the peasantry, perhaps as a farmer, miner, servant, shepherd, woodcutter, or gravedigger. But something happened that set you on a different path and marked you for greater things. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that marked you as a hero of the people. d10 | Defining Event 1 | I stood up to a tyrant's agents. 2 | I saved people during a natural disaster. 3 | I stood alone against a terrible monster. 4 | I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor. 5 | I led a militia to fight of an invading army. 6 | I broke into a tyrant's castle and stole weapons to arm the people. 7 | I trained the peasantry to use farming implements as weapons against a tyrant's soldiers. 8 | A lord rescinded an unpopular decree after I led a symbolic act of protest against it. 9 | A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin. 10 | Recruited into a lord's army, I rose to leadership and was commended for my heroism. Suggested Characteristics A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities remain very important to them. 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. Guild Artisan Insight, Persuasion 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 Feature: Guild Membership 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. Specialty 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 sail-makers 16 | Smiths and metal-forgers 17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters 18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights 19 | Weavers and dyers 20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers Suggested Characteristics 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. Hermit Medicine, Religion 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 Map or 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 Feature: Discovery 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. Specialty 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Noble History, Persuasion 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 Feature: Position of Privilege 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. Suggested Characteristics 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 coddling from 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. Outlander Athletics, Survival 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 Feature: Wanderer 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. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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. Sage Arcana, History 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 Ink (1-ounce bottle), 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 Feature: Researcher 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. Specialty To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below. d8 | Field of Study 1 | Alchemist 2 | Astronomer 3 | Discredited academic 4 | Librarian 5 | Professor 6 | Researcher 7 | Wizard's apprentice 8 | Scribe Suggested Characteristics 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. Sailor Athletics, Perception 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), 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: Player's Handbook p. 139 Feature: Ship's Passage 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Soldier Athletics, Intimidation Description War has been your life for as long as you care to remember. You trained as a youth, studied the use of weapons and armor, learned basic survival techniques, including how to stay alive on the battlefield. You might have been part of a standing national army or a mercenary company, or perhaps a member of a local militia who rose to prominence during a recent war. When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine which military organization you were a part of, how far through its ranks you progressed, and what kind of experiences you had during your military career. Was it a standing army, a town guard, or a village militia? Or it might have been a noble's or merchant's private army, or a mercenary company. • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation • Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land) • Equipment: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a bone dice set or playing card set, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 140 Feature: Military Rank You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized. Specialty During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role: d8 | Role 1 | Officer 2 | Scout 3 | Infantry 4 | Cavalry 5 | Healer 6 | Quartermaster 7 | Standard-bearer 8 | Support staff (cook, blacksmith, or the like) Suggested Characteristics The horrors of war combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred. 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 blinding 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. Urchin Sleight Of Hand, Stealth Description You grew up on the streets alone, orphaned, and poor. You had no one to watch over you or to provide for you, so you learned to provide for yourself. You fought fiercely over food and kept a constant watch out for other desperate souls who might steal from you. You slept on rooftops and in alleyways, exposed to the elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You've survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each. You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life? • Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Thieves' tools • Equipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 141 Feature: City Secrets You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not 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. Suggested Characteristics Urchins are shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life—and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 | I ask a lot of questions. 3 | I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me. 4 | I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms. 5 | I eat like a pig and have bad manners. 6 | I think anyone who's nice to me is hiding evil intent. 7 | I don't like to bathe. 8 | I bluntly say what others are hinting at or hiding. d6 | Ideal 1 | Respect. All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good) 2 | Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) 3 | Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 | Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in the gutters. (Evil) 5 | People. I help the people who help me—that's what keeps us alive. (Neutral) 6 | Aspiration. I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | My town or city is my home, and I'll fight to defend it. 2 | I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure. 3 | I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets. 4 | I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me. 5 | I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I'm wanted for it. 6 | No one else should have to endure the hardships I've been through. d6 | Flaw 1 | If I'm outnumbered, I will run away from a fight. 2 | Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I'll do just about anything for more of it. 3 | I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 | I'd rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 | It's not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 | People who can't take care of themselves get what they deserve. Criminal (Spy) Deception, Stealth Description • 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: Player's Handbook p. 130 Feature: Spy Contact You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other spies. 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. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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 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. Entertainer (Gladiator) Acrobatics, Performance Description • Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument • Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), costume clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Player's Handbook p. 131 Feature: By Popular Demand You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you. Specialty A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer. d10 | Routines 1 | Actor 2 | Dancer 3 | Fire-eater 4 | Jester 5 | Juggler 6 | Instrumentalist 7 | Poet 8 | Singer 9 | Storyteller 10 | Tumbler Suggested Characteristics Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience's attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. They're inclined toward the romantic and often cling to high-minded ideals about the practice of art and the appreciation of beauty. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. 2 | Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip. 3 | I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone". 4 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. 5 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. 6 | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention. 7 | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. 8 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. d6 | Ideal 1 | Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good) 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral) 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love. 2 | Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back. 3 | I want to be famous, whatever it takes. 4 | I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's. 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. d6 | 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. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around. 4 | I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat. 5 | I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble. 6 | Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends. Guild Artisan (Guild Merchant) Insight, Persuasion Description • 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. 133 Feature: Guild Membership 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. Specialty 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 sail-makers 16 | Smiths and metal-forgers 17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters 18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights 19 | Weavers and dyers 20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers Suggested Characteristics 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. Noble (Knight) History, Persuasion Description • 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. 136 Variant Noble (Knight) A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in most societies, but it can be a path to higher status. If you wish to be a knight, choose the Retainers feature instead of the Position of Privilege feature. 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. Feature: Retainers You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. One of your retainers is a noble who serves as your squire, aiding you in exchange for training on his or her own path to knighthood (This person could be your bond.). 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). Your retainers 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. Suggested Characteristics 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 coddling from 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. Sailor (Pirate) Athletics, Perception Description • 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: Player's Handbook p. 139 Feature: Bad Reputation 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Azorius Functionary Insight, Intimidation Description The brutes are at the gate, chaos is looming, and the only thing standing in the way of disaster is the foundation of law and order—as embodied in the Azorius Senate. You're a proud member of the Azorius guild, which both enacts and enforces the laws that make Ravnican society function smoothly and safely. • Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Intimidation • Languages: Two of your choice • Equipment: An Azorius insignia, a scroll containing the text of a law important to you, a Ink (1-ounce bottle), a ink pen, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp (Azorius-minted 1-zino coins) Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 33 Feature: Legal Authority You have the authority to enforce the laws of Ravnica, and that status inspires a certain amount of respect and even fear in the populace. People mind their manners in your presence and avoid drawing your attention; they assume you have the right to be wherever you are. Showing your Azorius insignia gets you an audience with anyone you want to talk to (though it might cause more problems than it solves when you're dealing with incorrigible lawbreakers). If you abuse this privilege, though, you can get in serious trouble with your superiors and even be stripped of your position. Azorius Guild Spells Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature For you, the spells on the Azorius 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.) Azorius Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells Cantrip | friends, message 1st | command, ensnaring strike 2nd | arcane lock, calm emotions, hold person 3rd | clairvoyance, counterspell 4th | compulsion, divination 5th | dominate person Your magic often takes the form of blue or golden runes floating and glowing in the air in circular patterns or of shimmering azure barriers of magical energy. If you cast ensnaring strike, for example, the vines created by the spell might appear as rune-inscribed glowing bands that wrap around the target and hold it in place. Suggested Characteristics Members of the Azorius Senate tend toward a demeanor of cold dignity and a pragmatic, orderly nature. Steeped in the law as they are, their ideals and priorities revolve around legal issues. Personality Traits d8 | Trait 1 | I try never to let my judgment become clouded by emotion. 2 | I have infinite patience with the dolts and boors I'm forced to deal with every day. 3 | When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed. 4 | I just want things the way I like them: neat, orderly, and clean. 5 | No wrongdoing can escape my watchful gaze. 6 | I always say exactly what I mean, no matter how many words it takes to communicate the particular nuance I am attempting to convey. 7 | I'm very literal and don't appreciate metaphor or sarcasm. 8 | I never change my mind once it's made up. Ideals d6 | Ideal 1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 | Order. The law is meant to ensure that the gears of society turn smoothly and quietly. (Lawful) 3 | Peace. The ultimate object of the law is to remove violence from society. (Good) 4 | Compliance. Coercion is a fine way of ensuring that the laws are obeyed. (Lawful) 5 | Legislation. The law embodies excellence in its precision and detail. (Lawful) 6 | Punishment. A public display of consequences is an excellent deterrent for other criminals. (Evil) Bonds d6 | Bond 1 | I am beholden to an Azorius arrester who captured the criminal who killed my parents, saving me from the same fate. 2 | I hope one day to write the laws, not just enforce them. 3 | I tried and failed to prevent a murder, and I have sworn to find and arrest the perpetrator. 4 | I successfully prevented a murder, and the would-be perpetrator wants me dead. 5 | One of my parents was prominent in the guild, and I resent constantly being compared to that standard. 6 | I've modeled my career after a highly respected lawmage or arrester, but I fear that my role model might be involved in something illegal. Flaws d6 | Flaw 1 | I'm unable to distinguish between the letter and the spirit of the law. 2 | I seem like a harsh judge to others, but I judge myself most harshly of all. 3 | I have a secret, illegal vice. 4 | I was traumatized by witnessing a crime as a child. 5 | I'm incapable of deception. 6 | I wish I had joined the Boros, but I fear they'd never accept me. Contacts The Azorius Senate is a sprawling bureaucracy, and people in a variety of positions throughout the guild can pull strings to make things happen. Because of the guild's role in making and enforcing laws for the entire city, your place in the Azorius can easily bring you into contact with members of other guilds, for good or ill. Roll twice on the Azorius Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Azorius Contacts table. Azorius Contacts d8 | Contact 1 | As a teenager, I was a page for a prominent judge. 2 | One of my childhood friends is now a precognitive mage in service of the guild. 3 | I joined the Azorius hoping to impress an arrester whom I admire. 4 | My former mentor is now a warden at Udzec, the new Azorius prison. 5 | I was second best at everything in my legal training, and now I work with the person who was always just a little bit better. 6 | A good friend was promoted into work they can't tell me about. 7 | I know a homunculus in the halls of New Prahv who can get things done behind the scenes. 8 | I was once summoned to the presence of Supreme Judge Isperia, the guildmaster of the Azorius, who complimented me on my work. Non-Azorius Contacts d10 | Contact 1 | Roll an additional Azorius contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. 2 | The person who recruited me into the Azorius left and joined the Boros. 3 | I have a friendship with a Dimir agent who sometimes funnels me secrets about Azorius activities. 4 | A Golgari spore druid would love to see me slip up and break the law. 5 | A lesser Gruul chieftain seems to think I could be useful. 6 | The black sheep of my family is putting their maniacal genius to use in the Izzet. 7 | I'm friends with an Orzhov advokist; we compare notes on different forms of law magic. 8 | I was ridiculed once in a Rakdos performance; the performer was impressed with my good humor about it and now does me occasional favors. 9 | I have a fanatical Selesnya cousin who keeps trying to recruit me and everyone else in the family. 10 | While growing up, I was bullied by a brat who's now a hybrid in the Simic Combine. How Do I Fit In? As a member of the Azorius Senate, you are probably engaged in the work of law enforcement (even if your background involved the legislative or judicial aspects of the senate's activities). Legislative aides and judges' clerks find little reason to venture beyond the Azorius guildhalls, but soldiers and lawmages patrol the streets daily. An Azorius soldier or lawmage is a force for order, charged with fighting crime on the streets—and in the halls of power. You might spend your time foiling thefts, putting a stop to Orzhov extortion, rooting out Dimir spies, or hunting down Golgari assassins. Perhaps you take your orders from a precognitive mage (or you are one yourself) who receives unpredictable and cryptic visions of future crimes that you and your allies must try to prevent. Boros Legionnaire Athletics, Intimidation Description As a member of the Boros Legion, your life is devoted to the service of angels and consecrated to the work of establishing justice and peace on the streets of Ravnica. You might be a true believer, inspired by the example of the angels, moved by the plight of the downtrodden, and devoted to the cause of justice. Or you could be a cynic in the ranks, perhaps because you reluctantly followed in the footsteps of a Boros parent, succumbed to the persuasion of a charismatic recruiter's lofty promises, or were drawn in by the prospect of a life of action. • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation • Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set • Languages: Choose one of Celestial, Draconic, Goblin, or Minotaur • Equipment: A Boros insignia, a feather from an angel's wing, a tattered piece of a Boros banner (a souvenir from a famous battle), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 2 gp (Boros-minted 1-zino coins) Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 40 Feature: Legion Station You have an established place in the hierarchy of the Boros Legion. You can requisition simple equipment for temporary use, and you can gain access to any Boros garrison in Ravnica, where you can rest in safety and receive the attention of medics. You are also paid a salary of 1 gp (a Boros-minted 1-zino coin) per week, which (combined with free lodging in your garrison) enables you to maintain a poor lifestyle between adventures. Boros Guild Spells Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature For you, the spells on the Boros 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.) Boros Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells Cantrip | fire bolt, sacred flame 1st | guiding bolt, heroism 2nd | aid, scorching ray 3rd | beacon of hope, blinding smite 4th | death ward, wall of fire 5th | flame strike Your magic often features dramatic bursts of flame or radiance. When you cast beneficial spells on your allies, they appear momentarily surrounded with halos of bright fire. Suggested Characteristics The Boros Legion is a zealous army, full of righteous energy tempered with military discipline. Its members share its leadership's devotion to the ideals of justice, or they find satisfaction in the more warfare-oriented aspects of the legion's work. Personality Traits d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I approach every task with the same high degree of military precision. 2 | I am always the first into the fray. 3 | I bear any injury or indignity with stoic discipline. 4 | My righteous wrath is easily inflamed by the slightest iniquity. 5 | My honor is more important to me than my life. 6 | Dangerous work is best accomplished by an orderly group working with common purpose. 7 | I treat my weapons, uniform, and insignia with reverence, for they are gifts of the angels. 8 | I pace when standing and fidget incessantly when forced to sit. Ideals d6 | Ideal 1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 | Justice. Achieving justice requires establishing fair, equitable, and compassionate relationships within a community. (Good) 3 | Protection. It isn't right for innocents to suffer because of the arrogance of the powerful. (Good) 4 | Solidarity. It is most crucial to act with a single will, marching side by side in perfect accord. (Lawful) 5 | Order. Society functions only if people do their duty and respect the chain of command. (Lawful) 6 | Conviction. Anything worth doing is worth doing with your whole heart. (Lawful) Bonds d6 | Bond 1 | I would lay down my life for Aurelia and the angels. 2 | I owe my life to the Boros captain who took me in when I was living on the streets. 3 | My fellow legionnaires are my family. 4 | I wield the same Boros weapon my grandparent did, for the honor of our family. 5 | I ran with the Rakdos in my youth, and I'm striving to atone for my past misdeeds. 6 | I do what I can to help out the spouse of a comrade who died in battle. Flaws d6 | Flaw 1 | I act bravely when I'm in a group, but I'm a coward when I'm alone. 2 | I see everything in clear-cut black and white. 3 | I'm just a little fascinated by the ways of the Gruul. 4 | I trust the chain of command more than anything—more even than my closest friends. 5 | I'm slow to trust members of other guilds. 6 | I've been known to turn a blind eye to injustice, with the help of a modest bribe. Contacts The ordered structure of the Boros Legion offers abundant opportunities to make friends—and rivals—in higher places. You might have close friends in other guilds that share the Boros emphasis on order and community, or bitter enemies among the guilds that represent chaos and destruction. Roll twice on the Boros Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Boros Contacts table. Boros Contacts d8 | Contact 1 | A former comrade in arms was promoted into the prestigious Sunhome Guard. 2 | One of my parents is a ranking Boros officer. 3 | A close friend serves aboard the Parhelion II, a flying fortress. 4 | I had a tangled affair with a Boros garrison captain. 5 | I have maintained a relationship with one of my instructors at Horizon Military Academy. 6 | I competed with a fellow student for the attention of a mentor at Horizon Military Academy. 7 | The person who recruited me into the legion changed the course of my life. 8 | A Boros angel knows my name. Non-Boros Contacts d10 | Contact 1 | One of my siblings is an Azorius arrester. 2 | Roll an additional Boros contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. 3 | I showed mercy to an injured, now-grateful Dimir spy. 4 | I suspect someone I know is a Golgari assassin, but I can't prove it. 5 | An adolescent relative ran off to join the Gruul in an act of rebellion and has not yet returned. 6 | I once befriended an Izzet scientist, and we're still cordial though the relationship ended messily. 7 | I owe a monetary debt to an Orzhov syndic. 8 | A Rakdos blood witch seems to enjoy harassing me. 9 | I tried to recruit a friend who ended up joining the Selesnya. 10 | I keep running into a particular Simic biomancer, and I enjoy the arguments that inevitably result. How Do I Fit In? As a member of the Boros Legion, you are subject to the orders of your superior officers. You go where the angels tell you to go, and you do what they command you to do, to the best of your ability. If you enjoy some measure of independence, it's either because you have proven yourself capable of working without close supervision or because you're a rebellious sort who is willing to disobey orders now and face the consequences later. As a soldier on the street, you are tasked with bringing dangerous threats like the Rakdos and the Gruul in line. You might contend with Rakdos performances gone horribly out of control, Gruul raids on outlying neighborhoods, shipments of rot-infested vegetation from the Golgari undercity, and violent uprisings among the guildless. At the same time, you might have to worry about Dimir spies infiltrating your leadership, overzealous or corrupt Azorius senators abusing the law at the expense of justice, Izzet experiments leveling city blocks, and Simic creations that break out of laboratories and wreak havoc through the Tenth District. Dimir Operative Deception, Stealth Description You're a spy. Secrets and misinformation are your stock in trade. You skulk in the shadows, infiltrate other guilds, and steal the most precious secrets, whether they're written in locked journals or hidden away in someone's mind. Even you might not be aware of all the reasons behind the missions you carry out. Sometimes a mission's sole purpose is to conceal the motivation behind another strike performed in a different part of the city, or simply to spread fear. As part of your covert work for House Dimir, you maintain a false identity as a member of another guild. You can choose your secondary guild or roll to determine it randomly. This secondary guild membership determines a portion of your starting equipment and is also where most of your contacts come from. You infiltrate your secondary guild to learn its secrets, keep tabs on its activities, or perhaps undermine it from within. • Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit • Languages: One of your choice • Equipment: A Dimir insignia, three small knives, a set of dark-colored common clothes, and the starting equipment of the background described in this chapter for your secondary guild Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 46 Feature: False Identity You have more than one identity. The one you wear most of the time makes you appear to be a member of a guild other than House Dimir. You have documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona and fit into the secondary guild. Whenever you choose, you can drop this identity and blend into the guildless masses of the city. Consider why you're embedded in the secondary guild. Create a story with your DM, inspired by rolling on the following table or choosing a reason that suits you. d8 | Reason for Infiltration 1 | My parents belong to this guild, and I let them think I'm following in their footsteps. 2 | I've been assigned to track this guild's activities. 3 | I've been assigned to get close to an individual in this guild and learn their secrets. 4 | I've been assigned to recruit a new Dimir spy from the ranks of this guild. 5 | I was a member of this guild before the Dimir recruited me. 6 | I don't like what this guild stands for and want to destroy it from within. 7 | I secretly wish I could leave the Dimir and join this guild, but there is no escaping the Dimir. 8 | I chose this guild at random or on a lark. Dimir Guild Spells Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature For you, the spells on the Dimir 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.) Dimir Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells Cantrip | encode thoughts, mage hand 1st | disguise self, sleep 2nd | detect thoughts, pass without trace 3rd | gaseous form, meld into stone, nondetection 4th | arcane eye, freedom of movement 5th | modify memory Your magic is meant to be subtle and undetectable, but it might pull shadows or clouds of mist around you as you cast your spells. Using the encode thoughts cantrip described below, you can turn a creature's thoughts (including your own) into a thought strand that others can potentially read, share, or steal. These thought strands are treated as valuable currency among the Dimir. Suggested Characteristics Skilled at infiltration, disguise, and deception, members of House Dimir appear inscrutable. Your true personality and ideals might never manifest, or they might mark you as a quirky member of your secondary guild. Personality Traits d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I'm good at hiding my true thoughts and feelings. 2 | When I'm in doubt about revealing something, I assume it's a secret, and I don't share it. 3 | I like to sound mysterious, because wisdom hidden grows deeper with time. 4 | I have no patience with people who get in my way. 5 | I love hearing about other people's nightmares. 6 | Combat is meant to be quick, clean, and one-sided. 7 | I like to stick to the shadows. 8 | I never show my anger. I just plot my revenge. Ideals d6 | Ideal 1 | Guild. My true guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 | Control. I like pulling the strings. (Lawful) 3 | Secrets. I collect secrets and never reveal them. (Any) 4 | Knowledge. I want to know as much as I can about this city and how it works. (Any) 5 | Independence. I value the freedom to pursue my own goals without interference. (Chaotic) 6 | Nihilism. I don't believe in anything, and anyone who does is a fool. (Neutral) Bonds d6 | Bond 1 | I discovered a secret I can't let anyone else uncover—including my guild superiors. 2 | I formed a close friendship or romance with someone in the guild I'm infiltrating. 3 | The Dimir agent who recruited me was unmasked and killed. My revenge on the killers will be thorough and painful. 4 | I spend as much time as I can in the Ismeri Library because I'm certain an information hub operates behind its facade. I want its secrets! 5 | I'm utterly loyal to my superior in the guild, more than to the guild or its guildmaster. 6 | Someone has discovered my true identity. Flaws d6 | Flaw 1 | I like secrets so much that I'm reluctant to share details of a plan even with those who need to know. 2 | I would let my friends die rather than reveal my true identity. 3 | I have trouble trusting anyone but myself. 4 | I have a particular vice that puts all my secrets at risk if I'm not careful. 5 | I'm pretty sure I've done something horrible that I can't remember because of the guild's mind magic. 6 | I put too much trust in the people who give me orders. Contacts As an agent of House Dimir working undercover, you have limited contacts within your guild. Your relationships within your secondary guild, in the guise of your false identity, are usually more extensive. Roll once on the Dimir Contacts table, giving you an ally who serves as your contact in Dimir. Then roll twice on the table for your secondary guild. The first roll gives you an ally there, and the second roll gives you a rival. Dimir Contacts d8 | Contact 1 | I know a Dimir courier who relays messages to me from someone higher up the chain of command. 2 | I get orders from a shapeshifter I recognize only through a series of code phrases we exchange. 3 | An ostentatiously wealthy vampire is my secret guild superior, summoning me to a luxurious estate by means of coded messages. 4 | I have never met my guild contact, but I receive telepathic messages, usually in my dreams. 5 | I've never met my guild contact, but I get coded messages from a pattern of street lights and graffiti. 6 | I didn't discover the identity of my guild contact until after we had begun a romantic relationship. 7 | My superior maintains an elaborate identity as a young street urchin... unless it's all a lie, and I'm being sent on ridiculous missions by a twisted child. 8 | My sibling and I both get telepathic orders from a mysterious contact, and I'm starting to question the authenticity of my sibling's orders. How Do I Fit In? As a Dimir adventurer, you are a member of the guild's network of spies, thieves, assassins, and mind mages that lurks behind the facade of the public guild. On the surface, House Dimir presents the appearance of a network of couriers, investigators, media reporters, and archivists, dealing in information and spreading news. But you and your peers trade in secrets. You use secret symbols, runes, and signals to surreptitiously communicate with other Dimir agents, often in plain sight. Like any good spy, you have multiple identities: your true face as an agent of House Dimir; a guildless identity; and a role as a member of another guild. Within that secondary guild, you might already be on a mission for House Dimir, assigned to spy on the guild, collect information about a person, or recruit another spy from the ranks of the guild. Or that guild could be a launching point for your real mission. Perhaps, for example, you were ordered to infiltrate the Azorius in hopes of gaining access to a notorious inmate in an Azorius prison. Golgari Agent Nature, Survival 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 Feature: Undercity Paths 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. Golgari Guild Spells 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.) Golgari Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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. Ideals 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) Bonds 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. Flaws 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. Contacts 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. How Do I Fit In? 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. Gruul Anarch Animal Handling, Athletics 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 Feature: Rubblebelt Refuge 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. Gruul Guild Spells 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.) Gruul Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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.] Ideals 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) Bonds 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.] Flaws 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. Contacts 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. How Do I Fit In? 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. Izzet Engineer Arcana, Investigation 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 Feature: Urban Infrastructure 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. Izzet Guild Spells 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.) Izzet Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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. Ideals 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) Bonds 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. Flaws 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. Contacts 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. How Do I Fit In? 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. Orzhov Representative Intimidation, Religion 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 Feature: Leverage 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. Orzhov Guild Spells 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.) Orzhov Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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. Ideals 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) Bonds 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. Flaws 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. Contacts The Orzhov Syndicate operates according to a strict hierarchy built on a network of connections among old, wealthy families. 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 (for 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 vampire pontiff tried to use me as a pawn in past schemes. 5 | A silent spirit follows me around. 6 | A sibling has keys to parts of Vizkopa 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 Contacts d10 | Contact 1 | An Azorius arrester is always snooping into 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. How Do I Fit In? The structure of the Orzhov Syndicate means that you are always doing the bidding of someone higher up the ladder than you are. Ultimately, your role in the guild is defined by whatever the people (and spirits) above you decide for you. For most of your career, you can expect to engage in some aspect of the day-to-day criminal operations of the guild. That can mean throwing your weight around to enforce the will of the guild or using religious authority to extort offerings from the people. But it can also mean doing various errands for your superiors, from bearing messages to carrying out assassinations. Rakdos Cultist Acrobatics, Performance 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 A Flair for the Dramatic 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. Performance Options 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 Feature: Fearsome Reputation 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. Rakdos Guild Spells 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.) Rakdos Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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. Ideals 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) Bonds 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. Flaws 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. Contacts 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. How Do I Fit In? 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. Selesnya Initiate Nature, Persuasion 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 Feature: Conclave's Shelter 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. Selesnya Guild Spells 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.) Selesnya Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Personality Traits 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. Ideals 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) Bonds 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. Flaws 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. Contacts 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. How Do I Fit In? 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. Simic Scientist Arcana, Medicine Description Imagine a perfect world: one in which nature and civilization exist in harmony, adapted to each other; one in which life is shaped to match its environment and the environment is shaped to match life. That's the world you have been trying to grow in the laboratories of the Simic Combine. Nature is all about adaptation, evolution, and balance—but for it to keep up with the pace of advancing civilization, nature needs some help from biomancers and terraformers. If, along the way, you happen to create super-soldiers and mutant monsters that can bolster the combine's defenses against the schemes and ambitions of the other guilds, so much the better. • Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Medicine • Languages: Two of your choice • Equipment: A Simic insignia, a set of common clothes, a book of research notes, an ink pen, a Ink (1-ounce bottle), a oil (flask) (made from blubber), a acid (vial) (derived from digestive juices), a vial of fish scales, a vial of seaweed, a vial of jellyfish stingers, a glass bottle of unidentified slime, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp (Azorius 1-zino coins) Source: Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica p. 93 Clades and Projects As a Simic researcher, you are part of a clade—a diverse group of individuals combining disparate talents in pursuit of a common goal—or a researcher on a specialized, short-term project focused on addressing an immediate need. You can roll a d6 or choose from the options in the Research Options table to determine your area of research. Research Options d6 | Clade/Project 1 | Hull Clade, focused on protection and durability 2 | Fin Clade, focused on movement 3 | Gyre Clade, focused on cyclical patterns and metamagic 4 | Guardian Project, focused on creating guard monsters and super soldiers 5 | Crypsis Project, focused on intelligence and counterintelligence 6 | Independent research in a new area Feature: Researcher When you attempt to learn or recall a magical or scientific fact, if you don't know that information, you know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a Simic laboratory, or sometimes from an Izzet facility, a library, a university, or an independent scholar or other learned person or creature. Knowing where the information can be found doesn't automatically enable you to learn it; you might need to offer bribes, favors, or other incentives to induce people to reveal their secrets. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an inaccessible place, or that it simply can't be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign. Simic Guild Spells Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature For you, the spells on the Simic 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.) Simic Guild Spells Spell Level | Spells Cantrip | acid splash, druidcraft 1st | detect poison and disease, expeditious retreat, jump 2nd | alter self, enhance ability, enlarge/reduce 3rd | gaseous form, water breathing, wind wall 4th | freedom of movement, polymorph 5th | creation When your magic causes physical alterations in yourself or others, the result often displays the characteristics of fish, amphibians, or other water-dwelling creatures. Blue-green eddies of magical energy sometimes accompany your spellcasting, forming spirals that reflect the mathematical perfection of nature. Suggested Characteristics The bizarre science of the Simic Combine attracts a certain type of personality and encompasses a set of beliefs about the nature of life. Simic members' bonds and flaws derive from their scientific research—including their creation of new life forms, which they can become very attached to. Personality Traits d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I can't wait to see what I become next! 2 | I am convinced that everything inclines toward constant improvement. 3 | I'm eager to explain every detail of my most intricate experiments and theories to anyone who shows the least bit of interest. 4 | I assume that everyone needs even the most basic concepts explained to them. 5 | I describe everything that happens as if it were going into my research notes (and it often is). 6 | I am insatiably curious about the seemingly infinite forms and adaptations of life. 7 | I can't resist prying into anything forbidden, since it must be terribly interesting. 8 | I employ a highly technical vocabulary to avoid imprecision and ambiguity in my communication. Ideals d6 | Ideal 1 | Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 | Change. All life is meant to progress toward perfection, and our work is to hurry it along—no matter what must be upended along the way. (Chaotic) 3 | Knowledge. Understanding the world is more important than what you do with your knowledge. (Neutral) 4 | Greater Good. I want to reshape the world into higher forms of life so that all can enjoy evolution. (Good) 5 | Logic. It's foolish to let emotions and principles interfere with the conclusions of logic. (Lawful) 6 | Superiority. My vast intellect and strength are directed toward increasing my sway over others. (Evil) Bonds d6 | Bond 1 | I helped create a krasis that I love like a pet and would carry with me everywhere... except it's the size of a building, and it might eat me. 2 | In my laboratory, I discovered something that I think could eliminate half the life on Ravnica. 3 | The other researchers in my clade are my family—a big, eccentric family including members and parts of many species. 4 | The laboratory where I did my research contains everything that is precious to me. 5 | I will get revenge on the shortsighted fool who killed my precious krasis creation. 6 | Everything I do is an attempt to impress someone I love. Flaws d6 | Flaw 1 | I have a rather embarrassing mutation that I do everything I can to keep hidden. 2 | I'm more interested in taking notes on monstrous anatomy than in fighting monsters. 3 | Every social situation I'm in seems to lead to my asking rude personal questions. 4 | I'm supremely confident in my ability to adapt to any situation and handle any danger. 5 | I'll take any risk to earn recognition for my scientific brilliance. 6 | I have a tendency to take shortcuts in my research and any other tasks I have to complete. Contacts The fluid nature of clades, whose rosters span different laboratories and change as researchers discover new interests, creates abundant connections among the Simic. The guild members live in watery sinkholes called zonots, and their isolation shelters them from much contact with outsiders. Nonetheless, a fair number of Simic members are former members of other guilds. Roll twice on the Simic Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Simic Contacts table. Simic Contacts d8 | Contact 1 | My research builds on my parents' work and takes it in interesting new directions. 2 | If a serious problem confounds me, I can count on my mentor to provide clarity of thought. 3 | A former laboratory colleague went on to work on the Guardian Project. 4 | A former colleague has ventured into fields of research that are possibly immoral and almost certainly illegal. 5 | A former lover is now the supervisor of a prominent clade. 6 | My sibling has become an almost unrecognizable mutant. 7 | An old friend has retreated into a secluded life as an ascetic deepsage, devoted to contemplating philosophical principles. 8 | My former clade supervisor is now engaged in field research studying some of the largest beasts and monsters on Ravnica. Non-Simic Contacts d10 | Contact 1 | My older sibling is upset that I didn't follow them into the Azorius. 2 | A Boros sergeant is always asking questions about my work, but I suspect they're genuinely curious. 3 | A friend in my clade thinks I don't know they're a Dimir agent. 4 | I helped a Golgari spore druid with the fertilization and growth of their fungus field. 5 | I can't fathom what could have made my childhood friend run off and join the Gruul. 6 | I love comparing notes with my friend in the Izzet, though our fields of research are very different. 7 | I borrowed a lot of money from an Orzhov syndic to help finance my research. 8 | A Rakdos ringmaster has taken an interest in my research which, come to think of it, might make a nice sideshow act. 9 | I left the Selesnya—and a lover—behind when I joined the Simic. 10 | Roll an additional Simic contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. How Do I Fit In? As a Simic adventurer, your mission likely aligns with the Adaptationist philosophy; the disagreements and tensions among the guilds will soon erupt into open conflict, and your guild needs your help to ensure that the Simic survive. That help might come in the form of defending against Golgari incursions into Simic zonots or shielding Simic research from Azorius intrusion. It could also involve more subtle, diplomatic work to maintain balance among the guilds, or subterfuge aimed at undermining another guild's grab for power. Self-improvement is also an important part of your mission. Anything you can do to make yourself more capable—whether learning a new spell or adopting a new hybridizing mutation—gives the Simic a stronger weapon in its arsenal. The combine must change to survive, and that means individual members of the guild must grow and adapt as well. Haunted One 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 of Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival • Languages: Choose two languages, one of which is exotic (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon) • Equipment: Monster hunter's pack, a set of common clothes, one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Gothic Trinkets table), and 1 sp Source: Curse of Strahd p. 209 Feature: Heart of Darkness 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. Harrowing Event 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 1d10. d10 | Harrowing 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 locked away. 10 | You did terrible things to avenge the murder of someone you loved. You became a monster, and it haunts your waking dreams. Suggested Characteristics 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. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I don't run from evil. Evil runs from me. 2 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. 3 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. 4 | I live for the thrill of the hunt. 5 | I don't talk about the thing that torments me. I'd rather not burden others with my curse. 6 | I expect danger around every corner. 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. d6 | Ideal 1 | I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) 2 | I'll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) 3 | I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) 4 | I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) 5 | I like to know my enemy's capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) 6 | I'm a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) d6 | Bond 1 | I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. 2 | I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. 3 | My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I've lost. 4 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. 5 | There's evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. 6 | I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). d6 | Flaw 1 | I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. 2 | I assume the worst in people. 3 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They're the lucky ones. 4 | I have an addiction. 5 | I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. 6 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. Criminal (Augen Trust) Description Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 203 Sage (Cobalt Scholar) Arcana, History Description • Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History • Languages: Two of your choice • Equipment: A Ink (1-ounce bottle), 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: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 203 Feature: Researcher 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. Specialty To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below. d8 | Field of Study 1 | Alchemist 2 | Astronomer 3 | Discredited academic 4 | Librarian 5 | Professor 6 | Researcher 7 | Wizard's apprentice 8 | Scribe Suggested Characteristics 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. Grinner Deception, Performance 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 Favorite Code-Song 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 Code-Songs 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. Feature: Ballad of the Grinning Fool 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Acolyte (Luxonborn) Insight, Religion Description • 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 Feature: Shelter of the Faithful 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Criminal (Myriad Operative) Deception, Stealth Description • 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 Feature: Criminal Contact 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. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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 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. Sailor (Revelry Pirate) Athletics, Perception Description • 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 Feature: Ship's Passage 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Volstrucker Agent Deception, Stealth Description The Volstrucker are a clandestine organization of arcane assassins and enforcers in the service of the Cerberus Assembly. Their operatives bear no official title, but are referred to in hushed tones as "scourgers" by residents of large Dwendalian cities such as Zadash and Rexxentrum. You are a Volstrucker agent. Your duty is to silence dissidents who would undermine the will of King Dwendal—and more importantly, the will of the Assembly. • Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth • Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner's kit • Languages: One of your choice • Equipment: A set of common clothes, a black cloak with a hood, a poisoner's kit, and a pouch containing 10 gp Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount p. 202 Tragedy Happy people aren't selected to join the Volstrucker. The Cerberus Assembly preys upon talented individuals who have been broken by tragedy—in some cases, tragedy that the Volstrucker has arranged for. A slightly broken mind is more easily reshaped and reeducated. Choose the tragedy that set you on this path, or roll on the Tragedies table. d6 | Tragedy 1 | Familicide. Through deceit or manipulation, the Volstrucker convinced you to slaughter your own family. 2 | Amnesia. You were forced to study magic so potent that it strained your mind beyond mortal limits, stealing away the memories of your past. 3 | Capture. You were captured and tortured by agents of the Kryn Dynasty, and barely escaped. 4 | Starvation. A terrible blight afflicted your rural village, and many of your friends and family members starved to death. You survived, but only barely. 5 | Disfigurement. One of your arcane experiments went wrong and scarred or dismembered you so gravely that others now shun you. Only the Volstrucker showed you kindness after that day. 6 | Vicissitude. You were once the scion of a wealthy family who lost their entire fortune in the blink of an eye. Feature: Shadow Network You have access to the Volstrucker shadow network, which allows you to communicate with other members of the order over long distances. If you write a letter in a special arcane ink, address it to a member of the Volstrucker, and cast it into a fire, the letter will burn to cinders and materialize whole again on the person of the agent you addressed it to. The ink used to send a letter across the shadow network is the same as that used by a wizard to scribe spells in a spellbook. Writing a letter in this ink costs 10 gp per page. Suggested Characteristics Agents of the Volstrucker are groomed to follow orders without question and to kill without mercy. The trauma that brings one into the order can fester even more strongly against the darkness of a Volstrucker agent's assignments. Officially, no one ever leaves the order—but those desperate enough do whatever it takes to gain some measure of freedom. d6 | Personality Trait 1 | I prefer to keep my thoughts to myself. 2 | I indulge vice in excess to quiet my conscience. 3 | I've left emotion behind me. I'm now perfectly placid. 4 | Some event from the past keeps worming its way into my mind, making me restless. 5 | I always keep my word—except when I'm commanded to break it. 6 | I laugh off insults and never take them personally. d6 | Ideal 1 | Order. The will of the crown is absolute. (Law) 2 | True Loyalty. The Cerberus Assembly is greater than any power, even the crown. (Law) 3 | Death. The penalty for disloyalty is death. (Evil) 4 | Determination. I cannot fail. Not ever. (Neutral) 5 | Fear. People should not respect power. They should fear it. (Evil) 6 | Escape. The Volstrucker are pure evil! I can't atone for what I've done for them, but I can escape with my life. (Any) d4 | Bond 1 | The job is all that matters. I will see it through. 2 | My orders are important, but my comrades are worth more than anything. I would die for them. 3 | Everything I've done, I've done to protect someone close to me. 4 | If the empire falls, all of civilization falls with it. I will hold back chaos and barbarism at any cost. d4 | Flaw 1 | I drink to dull the pain in the back of my head. 2 | I go a bit mad when I see blood. 3 | I can hear the voices of everyone I've killed. I see their faces. I can't be free of these ghosts. 4 | Fear is a powerful motivator. I will do whatever it takes to prevent those who know what I am from seeing me fail, and from those I care about from knowing what I am. Acolyte (Baldur's Gate) Insight, Religion Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 202 Feature: Shelter of the Faithful 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Religious Community The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You're tightly connected with the religious community of Baldur's Gate. You know if a deity has a following in the city and any places that faith openly congregates and the neighborhoods those faithful typically inhabit. While this isn't remarkable for most of the city's larger faiths, keeping track of the hundreds of religions newcomers bring with them is no mean feat. Suggested Characteristics 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. Charlatan (Baldur's Gate) Deception, Sleight Of Hand Description • Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Forgery kit • Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 202 Feature: False Identity You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Long-Lost Heir The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You're well-versed in the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of Baldurian patriars and other nobles, imitating them smoothly enough to convince even the snootiest family heads of your authenticity. You're skilled at posing as the long-lost heir to some imaginary or extinguished patriar lineage. Because of your skill in passing yourself off as a patriar, you have a Watch token that allows you alone into the Upper City of Baldur's Gate. You might be able to bluff others through with you, or even convince members of the Watch that you're a patriar. However, any true test of your authenticity is likely to reveal your deception. Favorite Schemes Every charlatan has an angle he or she uses in preference to other schemes. Choose a favorite scam or roll on the table below. d6 | Scam 1 | I cheat at games of chance. 2 | I shave coins or forge documents. 3 | I insinuate myself into people's lives to prey on their weakness and secure their fortunes. 4 | I put on new identities like clothes. 5 | I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 | I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money. Suggested Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I fall in and out of love easily, and am always pursuing someone. 2 | I have a joke for every occasion, especially occasions where humor is inappropriate. 3 | Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want. 4 | I'm a born gambler who can't resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 | I lie about almost everything, even when there's no reason to. 6 | Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice. 7 | I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. 8 | I pocket anything I see that might have some value. d6 | Ideal 1 | Independence. I am a free spirit—no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) 2 | Fairness. I never target people who can't afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful) 3 | Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) 4 | Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) 5 | Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good) 6 | Aspiration. I'm determined to make something of myself. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about. 2 | I owe everything to my mentor—a horrible person who's probably rotting in jail somewhere. 3 | Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn't know me. I'm making the world better for him or her. 4 | I come from a noble family, and one day I'll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. 5 | A powerful person killed someone I love. Some day soon, I'll have my revenge. 6 | I swindled and ruined a person who didn't deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself. d6 | Flaw 1 | I can't resist a pretty face. 2 | I'm always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in. 3 | I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others. 4 | I'm too greedy for my own good. I can't resist taking a risk if there's money involved. 5 | I can't resist swindling people who are more powerful than me. 6 | I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I'll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough. Criminal (Baldur's Gate) Deception, Stealth Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 202 Feature: Criminal Contact 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Criminal Connections The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. In Baldur's Gate, crime is just another business. As a result, you can arrange a meeting with a low-ranking operative of nearly any business, patriar family, crew, government institution, or—certainly—the Guild. This operative will hear you out and, at their discretion, take your information or request up their chain of command. These meetings almost always occur in shady venues. Criminal Origins Criminals are pervasive in Baldur's Gate. If you wish, you may roll on the Criminal Origins table for an event that began your life of crime. Criminal Origins d8 | Origin 1 | You crippled a Guild kingpin's cousin without realizing the connection. You got the Guild to back off demands for your death by offering to make amends by working for the criminals, but even so the kingpin still plots a personal revenge. 2 | The Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you'll never work for the Guild. You take special joy in hitting its targets first, tipping off its con victims and otherwise frustrating its schemes. 3 | It's always been about money. You're not paid what you're worth, working for someone who has more than they deserve. But the Guild offered you a way to fix that. You keep doing what you've always done—guard work, dock labor, business accounting—but what you learn you pass on to the Guild. 4 | The inequality of Baldur's Gate has driven you to take matters into your own hands. You steal from patriars and rich Lower City residents, funneling the money through charitable fronts to help the needy. 5 | You got into crime as a bored patriar looking for excitement. Your family has no idea of your activities, and neither does the Guild. If either of them ever finds out, your life as you know it will be over. 6 | A close friend or relative joined the Guild and vanished mysteriously. You've worked your way into the lower ranks hoping to find out what happened to them. 7 | You've always wanted to be a member of the Guild. As a child, you looked up to the Guild members' swagger, their flashy dress, and their competence, which all marked them as different from the other adults you knew. As soon as you could, you joined the organization. 8 | To you, this is just a way to earn a living. You go to work, do what needs to be done, and get paid. Anyone who pursues crime for thrill-seeking, to strike back at unjust authorities, or anything else are amateurs, and they're liable to get you arrested or killed with their idiocy. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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 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. Entertainer (Baldur's Gate) Acrobatics, Performance Description • Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument • Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), costume clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 202 Feature: By Popular Demand You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you. Baldur's Gate Feature: Backstage Pass The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You've learned that most of the real business of entertainment (or any other venture) happens behind the scenes. It's easy for you to case what sorts of audiences attend what venue—like how toughs gather at the Blushing Mermaid or how brash patriars congregate at the Helm and Cloak. After a successful performance, you may meet an enthusiastic member of the crowd—someone of an occupation or social class that frequents the establishment. This contact is delighted to talk with you, and to listen. Specialty A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer. d10 | Routines 1 | Actor 2 | Dancer 3 | Fire-eater 4 | Jester 5 | Juggler 6 | Instrumentalist 7 | Poet 8 | Singer 9 | Storyteller 10 | Tumbler Suggested Characteristics Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience's attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. They're inclined toward the romantic and often cling to high-minded ideals about the practice of art and the appreciation of beauty. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. 2 | Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip. 3 | I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone". 4 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. 5 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. 6 | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention. 7 | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. 8 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. d6 | Ideal 1 | Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good) 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral) 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love. 2 | Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back. 3 | I want to be famous, whatever it takes. 4 | I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's. 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. d6 | 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. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around. 4 | I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat. 5 | I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble. 6 | Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends. Folk Hero (Baldur's Gate) Animal Handling, Survival Description • Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival • Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools, vehicles (land) • Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Rustic Hospitality Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you. Baldur's Gate Feature: Social Vengeance The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You've lived your entire life in the Lower or Outer City of Baldur's Gate. You grew up seeing arrogant patriars flaunt their wealth while your hardworking neighbors struggled. As a result, you know how eager commoners in Baldur's Gate are to see any patriar get what they deserve. While in a busy part of the Lower City or Outer City of Baldur's Gate, you can spend 2d10 minutes to convince 1d6 commoner to perform a non-illegal act that inconveniences a member of the Watch or Flaming Fist, a patriar, or some other wealthy looking individual. Folk Hero Origins Folk heroes might rise from a variety of circumstances, or their origins might be a secret as they do their work anonymously. If you wish, you may roll on the Folk Hero Origins table for an event that started you down your heroic path. Folk Hero Origins d6 | Origin 1 | You helped get healing for a sick child. Now the sick come to you, knowing you'll help them find a way to salvation. 2 | You helped break a Guild protection racket afflicting a community of immigrants in the Outer City. Now, you can't travel through that part of the city without your dozen adopted grandparents inviting you in for a meal. 3 | Seeing a lost patriar after dark in the Outer City, you guided the wayward noble through back streets to safety. The patriar repaid your help by paying for improved roofs and lamps in your neighborhood, causing the entire community to celebrate your deed. 4 | Fueled by alcohol, you faced down a carrion crawler that slunk out of the sewer, knocking it out with a single punch. Since then, however, the ale you once credited with your heroism has drowned it, and even your most patient admirers are losing hope. You're hoping for one last chance to win back the goodwill you've drunk away. 5 | You once defeated a raging bugbear with a hand mirror, a mounted deer's head, and two kicks to the groin. Later, you and the bugbear became friends. 6 | Last winter, you dove into the frigid river to haul out a foundering fishing boat with your bare hands, saving all aboard. Now, everyone on the docks knows your name. Specialty You previously pursued a simple profession among the peasantry, perhaps as a farmer, miner, servant, shepherd, woodcutter, or gravedigger. But something happened that set you on a different path and marked you for greater things. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that marked you as a hero of the people. d10 | Defining Event 1 | I stood up to a tyrant's agents. 2 | I saved people during a natural disaster. 3 | I stood alone against a terrible monster. 4 | I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor. 5 | I led a militia to fight of an invading army. 6 | I broke into a tyrant's castle and stole weapons to arm the people. 7 | I trained the peasantry to use farming implements as weapons against a tyrant's soldiers. 8 | A lord rescinded an unpopular decree after I led a symbolic act of protest against it. 9 | A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin. 10 | Recruited into a lord's army, I rose to leadership and was commended for my heroism. Suggested Characteristics A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities remain very important to them. 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. Guild Artisan (Baldur's Gate) Insight, Persuasion Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Guild Membership 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Professional Courtesy The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You're familiar with the city's crews, their territories, and inter-crew politics. Choose one of the three districts of Baldur's Gate: the Upper City, the Lower City, or the Outer City. This is the district where you conduct most of your business. Whenever you need information about something in one of that district's neighborhoods, you can seek out crew members in that area and learn the local gossip. You can also gain unimpeded entry to nearly any bank, guild hall, place of business, workhouse, or crew meeting place in your district. Specialty 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 sail-makers 16 | Smiths and metal-forgers 17 | Tinkers, pewterers, and casters 18 | Wagon-makers and wheelwrights 19 | Weavers and dyers 20 | Woodcarvers, coopers, and bowyers Suggested Characteristics 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. Hermit (Baldur's Gate) Medicine, Religion Description • Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion • Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit • Languages: One of your choice • Equipment: A Map or 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Discovery 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: The Real City The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You know the Baldur's Gate most Baldurians ignore, the dog-eat-dog world of the homeless and unfortunate. You know where to go in the Lower City and Outer City for anonymity. In these slums and alley camps, you can get a damp bed and a bad meal, but also a degree of privacy and no questions asked. Living here isn't comfortable, but it's unlikely anyone will find you—and you can stay as long as you want. Hermit Origins Any number of personal choices or ill-fated circumstances might have led you to turn away from society. You may, if you wish, choose or roll an origin event from the Hermit Origins table. Hermit Origins d6 | Origin 1 | You led an ill-fated expedition into the Riverveins. Your friends were swept away by flooding, and you've never been able to shake the guilt of causing their deaths over a frivolous lark. You've maintained a solitary vigil outside the cavern entrance ever since. 2 | You crossed the Guild in a bad way. Fortunately, its members think you're dead. Less fortunately, maintaining that deception might require you to stay in hiding until you actually are. 3 | You study the puzzles of mortal natures. You've seen followers of evil deities perform miracles for the helpless at Twin Songs, and you've seen patriars who worship good deities turn their backs on the poor daily. Bearing witness to such things, and meditating on their contradictions, fills your hours. 4 | You tend to some part of the city's forgotten history: the unmarked graves in Cliffside Cemetery, the crumbling remains of dead patriar families' manors, or a collection of religious texts stuffed into an attic and forgotten when a believer's patron deity died. In this solitary work, you've learned secrets no one else knows. 5 | You killed a patriar's scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 | You aren't originally from Baldur's Gate. You came here seeking something else, only to learn that the quest that drove you had become impossible to fulfill—its object was destroyed or its purpose was negated by some superseding event. Suddenly directionless and unable to return to your homeland, you have lingered, adrift, in this wretched city. Specialty 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Noble (Baldur's Gate) History, Persuasion Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Position of Privilege 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Patriar The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. As a member of one of the elite families of Baldur's Gate, you may pass through city gates without paying tolls, mingle among the Gate's nobility unquestioned, and impress those on the lookout for wealthy patrons. You are welcome in the Upper City and may stay there after dark without being harassed or evicted. Your word is accepted over others' without question, and any corruption among guards or government officials tends to work in your favor, not against you—at least until you make some effort to expose it. Suggested Characteristics 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 coddling from 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. Outlander (Baldur's Gate) Athletics, Survival Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Wanderer 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Immigrant Experience The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. Even after your short time in Baldur's Gate, you've learned the city holds more walls and gates than those the Watch and Flaming Fist patrols. You are known within the city's immigrant communities. Should you ever need to learn about a foreign land, people, tradition, or history, you know where to find someone with firsthand experience—likely somewhere in the Outer City. Outlander Origins Foreigners of all kinds come to Baldur's Gate daily, drawn by countless reasons from countless lands. The Outlander Origins table provides ideas for how your character might have come to Baldur's Gate. Outlander Origins d6 | Origin 1 | Someone stole something precious from your people. You tracked the thief to the city gates, but finding clues in an urban environment is very different from tracking someone across the wilderness. You don't know where to go from here, but your people need you to succeed. 2 | You've always been fascinated by the glitter and glamor of city life, so different from the slow pace of life in your homeland. Now you're here, ready to make your mark in the world, but unsure how to begin. 3 | War, plague, famine, or a marauding monster ravaged your home, forcing you to flee for your life. You don't even know how many of your people survived or where to find them. Alone or accompanied by a handful of equally bereft survivors, you must navigate a new life that you never asked for. 4 | You were captured by kidnappers and taken far from your home. The Knights of the Unicorn freed you and brought you here, but now you're on your own. 5 | You were exiled for breaking a trivial-seeming taboo. For this seemingly minor transgression, you lost your friends, family, and homeland in one fell swoop, and were given little choice but to strike out on your own. 6 | A peddler once brought something astonishing to your homeland—a Gondan clockwork, shimmering cloth of gold, a trained speaking bird, or some other small wonder—and told you that it came from Baldur's Gate. You've come to see the source of such wonders, and perhaps learn to create them. Specialty 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 Suggested Characteristics 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. Sage (Baldur's Gate) Arcana, History Description • Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History • Languages: Two of your choice • Equipment: A Ink (1-ounce bottle), 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Researcher 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Rumor Monger The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. Via your personal rumor mill and articles published in Baldur's Mouth, you can surmise a great deal about Baldurians' secrets—who's practicing necromancy, who's involved in spying or smuggling, who would purchase or craft dangerous magical wares without batting an eyelash. Whenever a noteworthy crime or mysterious happening occurs in the city, you immediately have a list of 1d4 suspects who, if they aren't involved, have a strong chance of knowing who is. Specialty To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below. d8 | Field of Study 1 | Alchemist 2 | Astronomer 3 | Discredited academic 4 | Librarian 5 | Professor 6 | Researcher 7 | Wizard's apprentice 8 | Scribe Suggested Characteristics 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. Sailor (Baldur's Gate) Athletics, Perception Description • 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: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Ship's Passage 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Smuggler's Sense The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You're familiar with the docks of Baldur's Gate, the movement of inspectors and tax collectors, the way cargo and coin flows. As a result, it's easy for you to hustle a load of cargo ashore or see such a cargo onto a cooperative ship without attracting suspicion or taxation. You also know the movements of the Gray Wavers—the Flaming Fist harbor guards—and have a sense of how to operate the city's mechanized cranes. Suggested Characteristics 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. Soldier (Baldur's Gate) Athletics, Intimidation Description • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation • Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land) • Equipment: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a bone dice set or playing card set, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: Military Rank You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized. Baldur's Gate Feature: City Guard The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You may choose to currently serve in either the Flaming Fist or the Watch. If you do, you have responsibilities related to your post. For as long as you perform these responsibilities, you gain benefits. If you stop performing your responsibilities, though, you lose access to the benefits and might suffer further fallout. Should you lose these benefits, you may regain them by having an unpleasant conversation with your commanding officer and fulfilling your responsibilities for a month. Baldur's Gate Feature: Loyalty Test The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. You've had enough dealings with crooked soldiers that you can spot the behaviors common to corrupt guards and military officers a mile away. While awareness of such corruption doesn't equate to evidence of it, and your sense certainly isn't foolproof, your instinct proves a useful starting point when determining who might take a bribe, who might turn a blind eye to a crime, or who might have criminal connections. You can also use this sense to get a feeling about who might fulfill their duties strictly by the book. Specialty During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role: d8 | Role 1 | Officer 2 | Scout 3 | Infantry 4 | Cavalry 5 | Healer 6 | Quartermaster 7 | Standard-bearer 8 | Support staff (cook, blacksmith, or the like) Suggested Characteristics The horrors of war combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred. 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 blinding 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. Urchin (Baldur's Gate) Sleight Of Hand, Stealth Description • Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Thieves' tools • Equipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204 Feature: City Secrets You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not 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. Baldur's Gate Feature: Gateguide Connection The effects of a Baldur's Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur's Gate—though, at the DM's discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur's Gate. Even though you might not be a member of the Gateguides crew, you've associated with enough of them that you know their torch-based code. From the lighting, placement, and type of torch arranged on or near a structure, you can gather a great deal of information about those who live or do business there, particularly if they deal fairly with strangers, have Guild or government connections, or have either helped or denied the Gateguides in the past. Suggested Characteristics Urchins are shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life—and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 | I ask a lot of questions. 3 | I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me. 4 | I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms. 5 | I eat like a pig and have bad manners. 6 | I think anyone who's nice to me is hiding evil intent. 7 | I don't like to bathe. 8 | I bluntly say what others are hinting at or hiding. d6 | Ideal 1 | Respect. All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good) 2 | Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) 3 | Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 | Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in the gutters. (Evil) 5 | People. I help the people who help me—that's what keeps us alive. (Neutral) 6 | Aspiration. I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | My town or city is my home, and I'll fight to defend it. 2 | I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure. 3 | I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets. 4 | I owe a debt I can never repay to the person who took pity on me. 5 | I escaped my life of poverty by robbing an important person, and I'm wanted for it. 6 | No one else should have to endure the hardships I've been through. d6 | Flaw 1 | If I'm outnumbered, I will run away from a fight. 2 | Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I'll do just about anything for more of it. 3 | I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 | I'd rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 | It's not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 | People who can't take care of themselves get what they deserve. Faceless Deception, Intimidation Description Being who you are, you could never be a hero. Whether due to your class, your people, your family, or your sins, something about you prevents you from effectively pursuing the path you've chosen. Even so, that doesn't stop you. You've left your old face behind, taking on a new persona, becoming something more. Characters with the faceless background don a disguise—literally or otherwise—as they adventure. This persona might be dramatic or subtle. In a way, though, many characters have such larger than life personalities. Therefore, this background largely focuses on detailing the hero behind the mask. • Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Intimidation • Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit • Languages: One of your choice • Equipment: Disguise kit, a costume clothes, a pouch containing 10 gp Source: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 203 Faceless Persona A faceless character adventures behind the mask of a public persona. This persona is as natural to them as their hidden, true face, but it disguises their identity. Roll on the Faceless Persona table to determine your persona, or work with the DM to create a persona that's unique to your character and suits the tone of your game. d10 | Faceless Persona 1 | A flamboyant spy or brigand 2 | The incarnation of a nation or people 3 | A scoundrel with a masked guise 4 | A vengeful spirit 5 | The manifestation of a deity or your faith 6 | One whose beauty is greatly accented using makeup 7 | An impersonation of another hero 8 | The embodiment of a school of magic 9 | A warrior with distinctive armor 10 | A disguise with animalistic or monstrous characteristics, meant to inspire fear Feature: Dual Personalities Most of your fellow adventurers and the world know you as your persona. Those who seek to learn more about you—your weaknesses, your origins, your purpose—find themselves stymied by your disguise. Upon donning a disguise and behaving as your persona, you are unidentifiable as your true self. By removing your disguise and revealing your true face, you are no longer identifiable as your persona. This allows you to change appearances between your two personalities as often as you wish, using one to hide the other or serve as convenient camouflage. However, should someone realize the connection between your persona and your true self, your deception might lose its effectiveness. Suggested Characteristics A faceless character usually plays their persona—the hero or extraordinary person they are every day. That's all a facade, though, or a part of them expressed to an extreme. To define a persona, feel free to choose characteristics from other backgrounds, particularly folk hero, hermit, or noble. For the person behind the persona, the one who truly strives to be faceless, consider a distinct set of faceless characteristics. As a result, those with this background have two sets of characteristics, one for their persona, and one for their faceless selves. d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I'm earnest and uncommonly direct. 2 | I strive to have no personality—it's easier to forget what's hardly there. 3 | I treasure a memento of the person or instance that set me upon my path. 4 | I sleep just as much as I need to and on an unusual schedule. 5 | I think far ahead, a detachedness often mistaken for daydreaming. 6 | I cultivate a single obscure hobby or study and eagerly discuss it at length. 7 | I am ever learning how to be among others—when to stay quiet, when to laugh. 8 | I behave like an extreme opposite of my persona. d6 | Ideal 1 | Justice. Place in society shouldn't determine one's access to what is right. (Good) 2 | Security. Doing what must be done can't bring the innocent to harm. (Lawful) 3 | Confusion. Deception is a weapon. Strike from where your foes won't expect. (Chaotic) 4 | Infamy. My name will be a malediction, a curse that fulfills my will. (Evil) 5 | Incorruptibility. Be a symbol, and leave your flawed being behind. (Any) 6 | Anonymity. It's my deeds that should be remembered, not their instrument. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | I do everything for my family. My first thought is keeping them safe. 2 | What I do, I do for the world. The people don't realize how much they need me. 3 | I've seen too many in need. I must not fail them as everyone else has. 4 | I stand in opposition, lest the wicked go unopposed. 5 | I am exceptional. I do this because no one else can, and no one can stop me. 6 | I do everything for those who were taken from me. d6 | Flaw 1 | I am callous about death. It comes to us all eventually. 2 | I never make eye contact or hold it unflinchingly. 3 | I have no sense of humor. Laughing is uncomfortable and embarrassing. 4 | I overexert myself, sometimes needing to recuperate for a day or more. 5 | I think far ahead, a detachedness often mistaken for daydreaming. 6 | I see morality entirely in black and white. Athlete Acrobatics, Athletics Description You strive to perfect yourself physically and in execution of everything you do. The thrill of competition lights fire in your blood, and the roar of the crowd drives you forward. Tales of your exploits precede you and might open doors or loosen tongues. Whether in one of the poleis, between them, or among the nonhuman peoples of Theros, physical contests and those who pursue them command respect bordering on reverence. Athletes arise from all walks of life and all cultures and quite often cross paths with one another. • Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics • Languages: One of your choice • Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (land) • Equipment: A bronze discus or leather ball, a lucky charm or past trophy, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp Source: Mythic Odysseys of Theros p. 31 Feature: Echoes of Victory You have attracted admiration among spectators, fellow athletes, and trainers in the region that hosted your past athletic victories. When visiting any settlement within 100 miles of where you grew up, there is a 50 percent chance you can find someone there who admires you and is willing to provide information or temporary shelter. Between adventures, you might compete in athletic events sufficient enough to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, as per the "Practicing a Profession" downtime activity in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook. Favored Event While many athletes practice various games and events, most excel at a single form of competition. Roll or choose from the options in the Favored Event table to determine the athletic event in which you excel. Favored Event d8 | Favored Event 1 | Marathon 2 | Long-distance running 3 | Wrestling 4 | Boxing 5 | Chariot or horse race 6 | Pankration (mixed unarmed combat) 7 | Hoplite race (racing in full armor with a unit) 8 | Pentathlon (running, long jump, discus, javelin, wrestling) Suggested Characteristics Competition can forge strong bonds between teammates and rivals or ignite bitter feuds that burn outside the arena. Athletes often apply lessons from their training to their lives in general. Athlete Personality Traits d8 | Personality Trait 1 | I feel most at peace during physical exertion, be it exercise or battle. 2 | I don't like to sit idle. 3 | I have a daily exercise routine that I refuse to break. 4 | Obstacles exist to be overcome. 5 | When I see others struggling, I offer to help. 6 | I love to trade banter and gibes. 7 | Anything worth doing is worth doing best. 8 | I get irritated if people praise someone else and not me. Athlete Ideals d6 | Ideal 1 | Competition. I strive to test myself in all things. (Chaotic) 2 | Triumph. The best part of winning is seeing my rivals brought low. (Evil) 3 | Camaraderie. The strongest bonds are forged through struggle. (Good) 4 | People. I strive to inspire my spectators. (Neutral) 5 | Tradition. Every game has rules, and the playing field must be level. (Lawful) 6 | Growth. Lessons hide in victory and defeat. (Any) Athlete Bonds d6 | Bond 1 | My teammates are my family. 2 | I will overcome a rival and prove myself their better. 3 | My mistake got someone hurt. I'll never make that mistake again. 4 | I will be the best for the honor and glory of my home. 5 | The person who trained me is the most important person in my world. 6 | I strive to live up to a specific hero's example. Athlete Flaws d6 | Flaw 1 | I indulge in a habit that threatens my reputation or my health. 2 | I'll do absolutely anything to win. 3 | I ignore anyone who doesn't compete and anyone who loses to me. 4 | I have lingering pain from old injuries. 5 | Any defeat or failure on my part is because my opponent cheated. 6 | I must be the captain of any group I join. City Watch Athletics, Insight Description You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible enemies. Instead, your service to your hometown was to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe. You might have been part of the City Watch of Waterdeep, the baton-wielding police force of the City of Splendors, protecting the common folk from thieves and rowdy nobility alike. Or you might have been one of the valiant defenders of Silverymoon, a member of the Silverwatch or even one of the magic-wielding Spellguard. Perhaps you hail from Neverwinter and have served as one of its Wintershield watchmen, the newly founded branch of guards who vow to keep safe the City of Skilled Hands. Even if you're not city-born or city-bred, this background can describe your early years as a member of law enforcement. Most settlements of any size have their own constables and police forces, and even smaller communities have sheriffs and bailiffs who stand ready to protect their community. • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight • Languages: Any 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 Feature: Watcher's Eye 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Clan Crafter History, Insight Description The Stout Folk are well known for their artisanship and the worth of their handiworks, and you have been trained in that ancient tradition. For years you labored under a dwarf master of the craft, enduring long hours and dismissive, sour-tempered treatment in order to gain the fine skills you possess today. You are most likely a dwarf, but not necessarily—particularly in the North, the shield dwarf clans learned long ago that only proud fools who are more concerned for their egos than their craft turn away promising apprentices, even those of other races. If you aren't a dwarf, however, you have taken a solemn oath never to take on an apprentice in the craft: it is not for nondwarves to pass on the skills of Moradin's favored children. You would have no difficulty, however, finding a dwarf master who was willing to receive potential apprentices who came with your recommendation. • Skill Proficiencies: History, Insight • Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools • Languages: Dwarvish or one of your choice if you already speak Dwarvish • Equipment: A set of artisan's tools with which you are proficient, a maker's mark chisel used to mark your handiwork with the symbol of the clan of crafters you learned your skill from, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp and a gem worth 10 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 145 Feature: Respect of the Stout Folk As well respected as clan crafters are among outsiders, no one esteems them quite so highly as dwarves do. You always have free room and board in any place where shield dwarves or gold dwarves dwell, and the individuals in such a settlement might vie among themselves to determine who can offer you (and possibly your companions) the finest accommodations and assistance. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the guild artisan 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 clan crafter. (For instance, consider the words "guild" and "clan" to be interchangeable.) Your bond is almost certainly related to the master or the clan that taught you, or else to the work that you produce. Your ideal might have to do with maintaining the high quality of your work or preserving the dwarven traditions of craftsmanship. Cloistered Scholar History Description As a child, you were inquisitive when your playmates were possessive or raucous. In your formative years, you found your way to one of Faerûn's great institutes of learning, where you were apprenticed and taught that knowledge is a more valuable treasure than gold or gems. Now you are ready to leave your home—not to abandon it, but to quest for new lore to add to its storehouse of knowledge. The most well known of Faerûn's fonts of knowledge is Candlekeep. The great library is always in need of workers and attendants, some of whom rise through the ranks to assume roles of greater responsibility and prominence. You might be one of Candlekeep's own, dedicated to the curatorship of what is likely the most complete body of lore and history in all the world. Perhaps instead you were taken in by the scholars of the Vault of the Sages or the Map House in Silverymoon, and now you have struck out to increase your knowledge and to make yourself available to help those in other places who seek your expertise. You might be one of the few who aid Herald's Holdfast, helping to catalogue and maintain records of the information that arrives daily from across Faerûn. • Skill Proficiencies: History, plus your choice of one from among Arcana, Nature, and Religion • Languages: any two of your choice • Equipment: The scholar's robes of your cloister, a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife), a borrowed book on the subject of your current study, and a pouch containing 10 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 146 Feature: Library Access Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical, or secret to permit anyone immediate access. You have a working knowledge of your cloister's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections with some ease. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy to a fellow scholar. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the sage 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 cloistered scholar. Your bond is almost certainly associated either with the place where you grew up or with the knowledge you hope to acquire through adventuring. Your ideal is no doubt related to how you view the quest for knowledge and truth - perhaps as a worthy goal in itself, or maybe as a means to a desirable end. Courtier Insight, Persuasion Description In your earlier days, you were a personage of some significance in a noble court or a bureaucratic organization. You might or might not come from an upper-class family; your talents, rather than the circumstances of your birth, could have secured you this position. You might have been one of the many functionaries, attendants, and other hangers-on in the Court of Silverymoon, or perhaps you traveled in Waterdeep's baroque and sometimes cutthroat conglomeration of guilds, nobles, adventurers, and secret societies. You might have been one of the behind-the-scenes law-keepers or functionaries in Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter, or you might have grown up in and around the castle of Daggerford. Even if you are no longer a full-fledged member of the group that gave you your start in life, your relationships with your former fellows can be an advantage for you and your adventuring comrades. You might undertake missions with your new companions that further the interest of the organization that gave you your start in life. In any event, the abilities that you honed while serving as a courtier will stand you in good stead as an adventurer. • Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion • Languages: Any two of your choice • Equipment: A set of fine clothes and a pouch containing 5 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 146 Feature: Court Functionary Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and what the current intrigues of interest in the group are. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the guild artisan 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 courtier. The noble court or bureaucratic organization where you got your start is directly or indirectly associated with your bond (which could pertain to certain individuals in the group, such as your sponsor or mentor). Your ideal might be concerned with the prevailing philosophy of your court or organization. Faction Agent Insight Description Many organizations active in the North and across the face of Faerûn aren't bound by strictures of geography. These factions pursue their agendas without regard for political boundaries, and their members operate anywhere the organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for use by the faction's operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don't merely fulfill a small function for that organization, but who serve as its hands, head, and heart. As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as an agent of a particular faction in Faerûn. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn't necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction. • Skill Proficiencies: Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction • Languages: Any two of your choice • Equipment: Badge or emblem of your faction, a copy of a seminal faction text (or code-book for a covert faction), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 147 Factions of the Sword Coast The lack of large, centralized governments in the North and along the Sword Coast is likely directly responsible for the proliferation of secret societies and conspiracies in those lands. If your background is as an agent for one of the main factions of the North and Sword Coast, here are some possibilities. Feature: Safe Haven As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the acolyte 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 faction agent. (For instance, consider the words "faith" and "faction" to be interchangeable.) Your bond might be associated with other members of your faction, or a location or an object that is important to your faction. The ideal you strive for is probably in keeping with the tenets and principles of your faction, but might be more personal in nature. Far Traveler Insight, Perception Description Almost all of the common people and other folk that one might encounter along the Sword Coast or in the North have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling more than a few miles from where they were born. You aren't one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in the North realize that it exists, and chances are good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Faerûn for your own reasons, which you might or might not choose to share. Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land's ways to be strange and discomfiting, you can also be sure that some things its people take for granted will be to you new wonders that you've never laid eyes on before. By the same token, you're a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go. • Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Perception • Tool Proficiencies: Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice, likely something native to your homeland • Languages: Any one of your choice • Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, poorly wrought maps from your homeland that depict where you are in Faerûn, a small piece of jewelry worth 10 gp in the style of your homeland's craftsmanship, and a pouch containing 5 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 148 Feature: All Eyes on You Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your homeland. You can parley this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about your distant homeland and people. Why Are You Here? A far traveler might have set out on a journey for one of a number of reasons, and the departure from his or her homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. To determine why you are so far from home, roll on the table below or choose from the options provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 | Reason 1 | Emissary 2 | Exile 3 | Fugitive 4 | Pilgrim 5 | Sightseer 6 | Wanderer Suggested Characteristics d6 | Personality Trait 1 | I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space, blithely invading others' space in innocence, or reacting to ignorant invasion of my own. 2 | I have my own ideas about what is and is not food, and I find the eating habits of those around me fascinating, confusing, or revolting. 3 | I have a strong code of honor or sense of propriety that others don't comprehend. 4 | I express affection or contempt in ways that are unfamiliar to others. 5 | I honor my deities through practices that are foreign to this land. 6 | I begin or end my day with small traditional rituals that are unfamiliar to those around me. d6 | Ideal 1 | Open. I have much to learn from the kindly folk I meet along my way. (Good) 2 | Reserved. As someone new to these strange lands, I am cautious and respectful in my dealings. (Lawful) 3 | Adventure. I'm far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic) 4 | Cunning. Though I may not know their ways, neither do they know mine, which can be to my advantage. (Evil) 5 | Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst to learn. (Neutral) 6 | Suspicious. I must be careful, for I have no way of telling friend from foe here. (Any) d6 | Bond 1 | So long as I have this token from my homeland, I can face any adversity in this strange land. 2 | The gods of my people are a comfort to me so far away from home. 3 | I hold no greater cause than my service to my people. 4 | My freedom is my most precious possession. I'll never let anyone take it from me again. 5 | I'm fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this new land. 6 | Though I had no choice, I lament having to leave my loved one(s) behind. I hope to see them again one day. d6 | Flaw 1 | I am secretly (or not so secretly) convinced of the superiority of my own culture over that of this foreign land. 2 | I pretend not to understand the local language in order to avoid interactions I would rather not have. 3 | I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land. 4 | I don't take kindly to some of the actions and motivations of the people of this land, because these folks are different from me. 5 | I consider the adherents of other gods to be deluded innocents at best, or ignorant fools at worst. 6 | I have a weakness for the exotic beauty of the people of these lands. Inheritor Survival 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 • Languages: Any one of your choice • Tool Proficiencies: Your choice of a gaming set or a musical instrument • Equipment: Your inheritance, a set of traveler's clothes, the tool you choose for this background's tool proficiency (gaming set or musical instrument), and a pouch containing 15 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 150 Feature: Inheritance Choose or randomly determine your inheritance from the possibilities in the table 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 Suggested Characteristics 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. Knight of the Order Persuasion 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: Your choice of a gaming set or a musical instrument • Languages: Any 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 Knightly Orders of Faerûn 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. Feature: Knightly Regard 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Mercenary Veteran Athletics, Persuasion 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 Mercenaries of the North 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. Feature: Mercenary Life 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). Suggested Characteristics 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. Urban Bounty Hunter Description Before you became an adventurer, your life was already full of conflict and excitement, because you made a living tracking down people for pay. Unlike some people who collect bounties, though, you aren't a savage who follows quarry into or through the wilderness. You're involved in a lucrative trade, in the place where you live, that routinely tests your skills and survival instincts. What's more, you aren't alone, as a bounty hunter in the wild would be: you routinely interact with both the criminal subculture and other bounty hunters, maintaining contacts in both areas to help you succeed. You might be a cunning thief-catcher, prowling the rooftops to catch one of the myriad burglars of the city. Perhaps you are someone who has your ear to the street, aware of the doings of thieves' guilds and street gangs. You might be a "velvet mask" bounty hunter, one who blends in with high society and noble circles in order to catch the criminals that prey on the rich, whether pickpockets or con artists. The community where you plied your trade might have been one of Faerûn's great metropolises, such as Waterdeep or Baldur's Gate, or a less populous location, perhaps Luskan or Yartar—any place that's large enough to have a steady supply of potential quarries. As a member of an adventuring party, you might find it more difficult to pursue a personal agenda that doesn't fit with the group's objectives—but on the other hand, you can take down much more formidable targets with the help of your companions. • Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Deception, Insight, Persuasion, and Stealth • Tool Proficiencies: Choose two from among one type of gaming set, one musical instrument, and thieves' tools • Equipment: A set of clothes appropriate to your duties and a pouch containing 20 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 153 Feature: Ear to the Ground You are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the criminal background in the Player's Handbook as the basis for your bounty hunter's traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a bounty hunter. For instance, your bond might involve other bounty hunters or the organizations or individuals that employ you. Your ideal could be associated with your determination always to catch your quarry or your desire to maintain your reputation for being dependable. Tribe Member Athletics, Survival Description Though you might have only recently arrived in civilized lands, you are no stranger to the values of cooperation and group effort when striving for supremacy. You learned these principles, and much more, as a member of an Uthgardt tribe. Your people have always tried to hold to the old ways. Tradition and taboo have kept the Uthgardt strong while the kingdoms of others have collapsed into chaos and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to raise up the totems among the people as living embodiments of his power. Perhaps they needed a reminder of who they were and from whence they came. The Chosen of Uthgar led bands back to the old ways, and most of your people abandoned the soft ways of civilization. You might have grown up in one of the tribes that had decided to settle down, and now that they have abandoned that path, you find yourself adrift. Or you might come from a segment of the Uthgardt that adheres to tradition, but you seek to bring glory to your tribe by achieving great things as a formidable adventurer. See the "Uthgardt Lands" section of chapter 2 for details on each tribe's territory and its activities that will help you choose your affiliation. • Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival • Languages: Any one of your choice • Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument or artisan's tools • Equipment: A hunting trap, a totemic token or set of tattoos marking your loyalty to Uthgar and your tribal totem, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 153 Barbarian Tribes of Faerûn Though this section details the Uthgardt specifically, either it or the outlander background from the Player's Handbook can be used for a character whose origin lies with one of the other barbarian tribes in Faerûn. You might be a fair-haired barbarian of the Reghed, dwelling in the shadow of the Reghed Glacier in the far North near Icewind Dale. You might also be of the nomadic Rashemi, noted for their savage berserkers and their masked witches. Perhaps you hail from one of the wood elf tribes in the Chondalwood, or the magic-hating human tribes of the sweltering jungles of Chult. Feature: Uthgardt Heritage You have an excellent knowledge of not only your tribe's territory, but also the terrain and natural resources of the rest of the North. You are familiar enough with any wilderness area that you can find twice as much food and water as you normally would when you forage there. Additionally, you can call upon the hospitality of your people, and those allied with your tribe, often including members of the druid circles, tribes of nomadic elves, the Harpers, and the priesthoods devoted to the gods of the First Circle. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the outlander 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 an Uthgardt tribe. Even if you have left your tribe behind (at least for now), you hold to the traditions of your people. You will never cut down a still-living tree, and you may not countenance such an act being done in your presence. The Uthgardt ancestral mounds - great hills where the totem spirits were defeated by Uthgar and where the heroes of the tribes are interred - are sacred to you. Your bond is undoubtedly associated with your tribe or some aspect of Uthgardt philosophy or culture (perhaps even Uthgar himself). Your ideal is a personal choice that probably hews closely to the ethos of your people and certainly doesn't contradict or compromise what being an Uthgardt stands for. City Watch (Investigator) Insight, Investigation Description • Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Investigation • Languages: Any 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 Feature: Watcher's Eye 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. Suggested Characteristics 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. Waterdhavian Noble History, Persuasion Description You are a scion of one of the great noble families of Waterdeep. Human families who jealously guard their privilege and place in the City of Splendors, Waterdhavian nobles have a reputation across Faerûn for being eccentric, spoiled, venal, and, above all else, rich. Whether you are a shining example of the reason for this reputation or one who proves the rule by being an exception, people expect things of you when they know your surname and what it means. Your reasons for taking up adventuring likely involve your family in some way: Are you the family rebel, who prefers delving in filthy dungeons to sipping zzar at a ball? Or have you taken up sword or spell on your family's behalf, ensuring that they have someone of renown to see to their legacy? Work with your DM to come up with the family you are part of—there are around seventy-five lineages in Waterdeep, each with its own financial interests, specialties, and schemes. You might be part of the main line of your family, possibly in line to become its leader one day. Or you might be one of any number of cousins, with less prestige but also less responsibility. • Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion • Languages: Any one of your choice • Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set or musical instrument • Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring or brooch, a scroll of pedigree, a skin of fine zzar or wine, and a purse containing 20 gp Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide p. 154 Feature: Kept in Style While you are in Waterdeep or elsewhere in the North, your house sees to your everyday needs. Your name and signet are sufficient to cover most of your expenses; the inns, taverns, and festhalls you frequent are glad to record your debt and send an accounting to your family's estate in Waterdeep to settle what you owe. This advantage enables you to live a comfortable lifestyle without having to pay 2 gp a day for it, or reduces the cost of a wealthy or aristocratic lifestyle by that amount. You may not maintain a less affluent lifestyle and use the difference as income—the benefit is a line of credit, not an actual monetary reward. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the noble 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 a Waterdhavian family. Like other nobles, you were born and raised in a different world from the one that most folk know - one that grants you privilege but also calls you to fulfill a duty befitting your station. Your bond might be associated with your family alone, or it could be concerned with another noble house that sides with or opposes your own. Your ideal depends to some extent on how you view your role in the family, and how you intend to conduct yourself in the world at large as a representative of your house. Inquisitor Investigation, Religion Description Historically, inquisitors were cathar detectives who investigated crimes both mundane and supernatural. They were known for traveling to remote parishes plagued by unexplained murders, and for exposing werewolves living among normal humans. During Avacyn's absence, when the archangel was trapped within the demonic prison known as the Helvault, the inquisitors led a series of brutal forays into Kessig and the Gavony Moorland. They executed suspected lycanthropes with little or no proof, and punished accused heretics in unsanctioned trials. With Avacyn's madness, this savage form of inquisition has become the norm, and inquisitors who still pry into dark mysteries have become a minority. • Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Religion • Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' tools, one type of artisan's tools • Equipment: A holy symbol, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp Source: Plane Shift: Innistrad p. 12 Feature: Legal Authority As an inquisitor of the church, you have the authority to arrest criminals. In the absence of other authorities, you are authorized to pass judgement and even carry out sentencing. If you abuse this power, however, your superiors in the church might strip it from you.