Backgrounds

Your background provides narrative and mechanical information about who you are, what walk of life you come from, and where you might be headed. When you create a character at level 1, you choose your background from the list below. Seven of the nine backgrounds grant you additional skills if you take a profession with the corresponding occupation tag. Note that your background also determines your starting wealth.

Starting Gear

All backgrounds also grant you the following starting gear: Your profession and background may specify that you gain additional equipment.

1. A) 2 one-handed melee weapons, or B) 1 two-handed or hand-and-a-half melee weapon, or C) 1 one-handed melee weapon and a shield (buckler)

2. A) 1 shortbow and 20 arrows, or B) 1 crossbow and 20 bolts, or C) 3 javelins

3. or you can forego equipment in both 1. and 2. for an amethyst wand

4. A) 1 quarterstaff, or B) 1 hatchet, or C) 2 daggers, or D) 2 knives, or E) 1 cestus, or F) 1 brass knuckles

5. 2 trinkets

Background Description and Occupation Tags

If you choose a Profession with the same tag as your Background, you gain additional skill as noted in the Background.

Background	Occupation Tag	Description
Born Warrior	Militant	Blood, toil, and sweat have marked you a proven soldier.
Criminal	Underworld	You deal in activities not endorsed by the law.
Entrepreneur	Mercantile	You own, supply, or represent a successful business.
Knave	None	Having tried multiple professions, nothing is quite a fit.
Noble Title	Aristocratic	By birth or deed, you are a minor noble in a nation.
Outlander	Wanderer	You live on the fringes of society, perhaps in the wilds.
Student	Academic	You endlessly toil to deepen a field of academic study.
True Believer	Religious	You are a devotee of a specific religion or faith system.
Urchin	None	You've grown up on the streets, always fending for yourself.