Family Background Deck

Index	Background	Skill or Benefit	Starting Cash
0	Alchemist	Alchemy	20
1	Armorer	Craft (Armorer)	20
2	Armorer	Craft (Armorer)	30
3	Artisan Stonecutter	Advantage to detect secret doors	15
4	Baker	Has “secret recipe” to one alchemical baked good	20
5	Baker	Craft(Baking)	10
6	Bandit	Stealth	10
7	Beggar's Son	Deception	0
8	Bestia Neptunis	One of your ancestors is rumored to have been a Bestia Neptunis (Sea Monster of some sort). You can hold your breath for 15 minutes and make simple telepathic communication with marine mammals.	10
9	Bishop's Bastard	Deception	20
10	Blacksmith	Craft (Blacksmith)	20
11	Blood of Atlantis, a recluse family	Whenever you are near an Atlantean object that is magical, and you concentrate, you can detect that magic and sometimes even a little information about its nature and function.	15
12	Boatman	Occupation (Sailor)	10
13	Born a Thrall	You were a servant to a noble family, and you became well used to their capricious whims and cruel behavior. You are so tough you start with +2 Permanent Hit Points	0
14	Born to Fight	Born into one of the elite mercenary companies, you have tired of constant warfare and have traveled to find adventure across the sea. You start with +2 STR which helped you raise through the ranks.	35
15	Brewmaster	Brewing	30
16	Bushwhacker	Stealth	10
17	Busker	Performance	5
18	Butcher	Craft (Butcher)	20
19	Candle Maker	Occupation (candlemaker)	20
20	Caravan Guard	Gambling	20
21	Carpenter	Craft (carpenter)	10
22	Chandler	Craft (Candlemaking)	20
23	Child of the New World	Your family fled your homes following invasion, and you grew up as a child exploring the natural majesty of the new world. You gain advantage on any checks to avoid getting lost or to navigation.	15
24	Clan of the Lidless Eye	Your childhood neighbors muttered that your family were descended from Trolls or Elves or Djinni. You seem to need no sleep and are immune to sleep spells and similar sleep-related magic or sleep poisons.	20
25	Coachman	Riding	10
26	Cooper	Craft(Barrel Making)	10
27	Courtier	Insight	30
28	Cowardice	You fled the battlefield, leaving much of your clan to be butchered. You've travelled to the new world to start a new life, with resolve never to leave a fight in shame again. You get advantage on all fear checks	20
29	Cowboy	Riding	10
30	Cult Survivor	You volunteered to be a servant at the Monastery of Tribulation, only to find it controlled by a sinister cult. What hardships you’ve endured and horrors you have witnessed as a result you only need half the rest to be functional.	10
31	Disgraced/Escaped Monk	Deception	0
32	Double Life	You've led a double life in the past. You were part of your small village's ruling cult, as well as one of the secret fighters working to keep the cult from opening the Atlantean vault located in the nearby wood. It all came to an end when they brainwashed your wife and child and convinced them to disown you. You've gained the Religion Skill	40
33	Drunken Stepfather	Your stepfather would beat you regularly when in his cups. Over the years you learned how to dodge his blows. Now that he's dead, your quickness is an asset you hope to help support your widowed mother. You have gained +2 Dexterity for your trouble.	0
34	Duplicitous Apprentice	For months you helped your master prepare the dark ritual to summon an imp from a blood sacrifice. You slit his throat before he could murder the captive children, only to complete the bloody ritual yourself to take his power. You know the ritual to create imps, and you may already have an imp servant yourself if you are a scholar. However you start with one point of corruption.	30
35	Eldritch Test Subject	+2 Permanent HP	10
36	Enchantress Mother	Your mother was a famous sorceress and courtesan. Your childhood was dominated by the turmoil that the constant stream of Sorcerers duels with rivals and lovers caused. You may add your proficiency bonus to any checks or resistance against enchantment, charms, and necromantic magic.	35
37	Escaped the Fey	You were stolen from your family by the Fey as a child. You returned as an adult and cut your Fey doppelganger's throat. You are now on the run for the murder of yourself. You have gained the skill of Disguise from your work foiling attempts to find you.	15
38	Exotic Upbringing	You are the offspring of a haughty and noble trader dealing with exotic and forbidden wares. You may re-roll any checks associated with any sales negotiations.	40
39	Farmer	Perception	10
40	Farmer	Occupation (farmer)	10
41	Farmer	Herbalism	10
42	Farmer	Survival	10
43	Farmer	Lore (Plants)	5
44	Fire Won't Burn There, No Fire At All	On the seventh day of the seventh month of your seventh year, your family burned down around you, and you were seen protected by a shining nimbus. To this day, you are resistant to fire damage.	30
45	Fisherman	Craft (Weaving)	20
46	Fortune Teller	Deception	20
47	Framed Lawman	You are a former lawman with a keen eye for detail, you were driven from civilized society when you were framed for an atrocity you did not commit. You gain advantage to any Insight checks to know if someone is lying or not.	20
48	Herald	Lore (choice)	20
49	Herald	Performance	20
50	Herdsman	Lore (Geography)	10
51	Herdsman	Riding	10
52	Herdsman	Lore (Animals)	0
53	Herdsman	You get your start with two shepherding dog companions who will serve you faithfully.	10
54	Hermit's Apprentice	You spent many years with a mad hermit in the forest near home. Once he ordered you to cook a “magic weasel” he found, and when you tasted some of the juices you gained a degree of animal empathy. You can now give orders to your horse, dog or any well trained animal which you have become familiar to. These orders succeed on a CHA check. The command have a range of 40' and count as quick action.	5
55	Hostler	Riding	10
56	Hunter	Survival	10
57	I Ain't Afraid of No Bears	Your grandpa, Bearkiller Kniva, was so feared by bear-kind, that when a bear or part-bear monster tries to attack you it must make a morale check every round before it can swing.	35
58	Innkeeper	Brewing	20
59	Juggler	Acrobatics	10
60	Knight Errant	Survival	40
61	Knight of Lord's Guard	Lore (choice)	20
62	Knight or Courtier	Deception	30
63	Knight or Lord's Guard	Riding	40
64	Knight or Lord's Guard	Survival	40
65	Knight/Courtier	Appraisal	30
66	Knight/Lord's Guard	Siegecraft	25
67	Knight/Lord's Guard	Lore (Animals)	30
68	Knight/Lord's Guard	Tactics	40
69	Knight/Lord's Guard	Survival	20
70	Knight/Lord's Guard	Siegecraft	30
71	Knight/Lord's Guard	Craft (Swordsmith)	40
72	Lawyer	Lore (Law)	25
73	Locksmith	Lockpicking	35
74	Lord's Guard	Perception	40
75	Lord's Son	You grew up in a place of privilege as the second son of a chieftain or lord. Following your father's death, your older brother sought to consolidate his strength and commissioned an assassin to kill you in cold blood. Discovery of your sibling's cruel intent motivated you to take your father's magic Heavy Armor from his youth and run.	25
76	Lumberjack	Lore (Plants)	10
77	Luminous Inheritance	At birth, a scraggly stranger entered your home and gifted your parents with 6 iron rods, each 12” long, and each of which radiates light equivalent to a lantern, without need for fuel. The rods are covered with mysterious Atlantean glyphs.	30
78	Map Maker	Lore (Geography)	30
79	Mark of Cain	You have a mysterious birthmark, which when shown to Trolls and Giants will cause them to be non-hostile to you (until you cross them).	40
80	Mercenary	Riding	20
81	Merchant	Appraisal	40
82	Merchant	Persuasion	50
83	Miner	Occupation (Miner)	20
84	Missionary to the New World	With your family's blessing, you have taken holy vows and traveled to the new world as a missionary. However, once you arrived you've struggled with your promises to Jehovah. You often find yourself tempted by worldly vices, and struggle privately with the frustrating sinister needs within your soul that threaten to explode. You may enter a berserker rage. While enraged, he gains a +2 bonus to attack throws and becomes immune to fear. However, the character has a -2 penalty to AC and cannot retreat from combat. Once it has begun, a berserker rage cannot be ended until combat ends.	15
85	Muleskinner	Riding	20
86	Noble	You were raised in a noble court. Although pandered and privileged growing up, you developed a strong sense of your own power and destiny to rule. You start with +2 CHA.	50
87	Noble Dilettante	Appraisal	50
88	Only the Pretty Ones Live	You grew up without an immediate family in a drug-induced haze among the great mass of citizens of a debaucherous metropolis in Europe full of wonder, spectacle and violence. You are one of the ‘pretty’ ones who charmed the masked nobles and survived as a result. You start with a +2 CHA.	20
89	Orphaned Street Urchin	Pickpocket	0
90	Raconteur	Performance	10
91	Raised in a Cave	You were raised in a dark cave, lending you comfort to being below ground. The bowels of the earth is your preferred state. So much so that you abhor the surface world. Trees are your enemy. You miss your mother, who disappeared from the cavern when you were a teenager. You know the time of day and direction of travel despite being below ground without the sun or stars to guide you. You can see an extra 10' in dim light because your senses are so attuned to the darkness of the underground.	5
92	Ratman Ancestor	One of your ancestors was cursed as a wererat for a time. You can never be surprised by a rat, ratman or wererat of any sort. You also gain +2 to hit, damage, and other checks against any sort of rat, ratman, wererat or rat-monster.	25
93	Religious Upbringing	Born into a religious family you were given an education in astrology, philosophy and the basics of sorcery. You may reroll a spellcasting check per safe rest.	30
94	Robust Bloodline	From a long line of mountain-men, you heal one point of damage per day, in addition to any other sort of healing, whether you rest or not.	20
95	Sailor	Occupation (sailor)	20
96	Salubrious Blood	It was told to you at your 12th birthday that you are descended from Joseph of Aramithea and so are of the Grail Family, related to Percival and Galahad of old. You may be called on one day to perform a service for the Grail. You are immune to all diseases, including lycanthropy and tomb rot.	40
97	Sausage Man	Occupation (Sausage Man)	10
98	Second Sight	You are a descendant of prophets and witches. If you take a round of inaction to focus, you can see the true nature of things through any illusion, disguise or even invisibility. The sight lasts for as long as you concentrate.	20
99	Shepherd	Occupation (Shepherd)	10
100	Shoemaker	Craft (leather worker)	10
101	Sign of the Magi	You were born at a strange astrological concordance of the planets Saturn and Mercury, which caused a local astrologer to warn your parents to watch for signs. On the seventh hour of the seventh day after your birth, strange writings appeared in flame on your forehead, causing you no harm. You proved to be magical prodigy in your youth. If you choose to be a scholar you gain 1 extra cantrip and 1 extra first level spell known at first level. The astrologer would never again speak of, to, or near you.	30
102	Silver Smith	Craft (jewelry)	40
103	Solar Attunement	Born in the middle of Stonehenge, or some similar ancient solar site. You gain +1 to AC, Hit, Damage and checks when you outside under direct sunlight.	25
104	Son of a Bounty Hunter	Stealth	20
105	Son of a Soldier	Tactics	20
106	Son of a Witch	Herbalism	10
107	Son of City Watchman	Intimidation	50
108	Steeped in Holiness	From your youth minor miracles, light and a feeling of blessedness surrounded you. You are able to make healing potions, cleric scrolls, and holy water at 25% less cost in components and time.	15
109	Strange Fisherman	You are one of the fisher people of coast. Compared to the city dwellers, you have a simple life of singing folk songs, eating and drinking heartily and occasionally running from the monsters that live in dark caves along the coast. You may reroll any fear checks against beasts larger than human size, and you gain +1 attack and damage against any opponent at least two times the size of a normal human.	15
110	Strange Wanderer	Occupation (Sailor)	10
111	Survived a Dark Ritual	You were kidnapped as a child to serve as a human sacrifice for a dark ritual. The summoning went awry and the otherworldly horrors dragged your captors to their doom, leaving you shocked but unharmed in the darkness. You can cast the light cantrip even if you aren't a Scholar or Zealot, and you gain that cantrip for free if you are.	25
112	Swineherd	Occupation (swineherd)	10
113	Thrall of Lund	Taken from the countryside at a young age, you were forced to work in the hidden Monastery of Lund, where you were abused and forgotten until you could plot revenge and gain your freedom from their cult. You gain +2 permanent hit points.	0
114	Tinkerer	Traps	20
115	Toll-Keeper	Insight	10
116	Town Watch	Perception	20
117	Trace of the True Cross	You were born in the presence of a fragment of the True Cross. Your defense against any Spiritual Attack is improved by +5.	30
118	Trapper	Traps	10
119	Vampiric Bloodline	Your eastern European ancestor is unnaturally long lived and healthy. Uncannily so. Some say you look just like him. Perhaps your ancestor is actually a vampire. Perhaps you are one as well? You may add +4 additional hit points healed after a rest as long as you drink the blood of a sentient killed no earlier than 24 hours ago.	25
120	Wagon Master	Occupation (teamster)	10
121	Warrior	Born into the warrior caste, you fought against rival cities to gain sacrifices for the Undying Lord of your community. You automatically gain advantage to attack a target who has failed a check against your Intimidation skill.	40
122	Winemaker	Craft (Brewing)	10
123	Woodsman	Survival	20