Backgrounds
Every story has a beginning. Your character's background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your fighter might have been a courageous knight or a grizzled soldier. Your wizard could have been a sage or an artisan. Your rogue might have gotten by as a guild thief or commanded audiences as a jester.
Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character's identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don't you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?
The sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.
Proficiencies
Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills (described in "Using Ability Scores").
In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools (detailed in "Equipment").
If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead.
Languages
Some backgrounds also allow characters to learn additional languages beyond those given by race. See "Languages."
Equipment
Each background provides a package of starting equipment. If you use the optional rule to spend coin on gear, you do not receive the starting equipment from your background.
Suggested Characteristics
A background contains suggested personal characteristics based on your background. You can pick characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly, or use the suggestions as inspiration for characteristics of your own creation.
Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages from the sample backgrounds. You can either use the equipment package from your background or spend coin on gear as described in the equipment section. (If you spend coin, you can't also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can't find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your GM to create one.
| Background | Skill Proficiencies | Skill Proficiencies | Language, Thieves' Tools, etc. | 2nd Language, Instrument, Vehicles, etc. | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acolyte | Insight, Religion | Insight, Religion | Language x1 | Language x1 | PHB | 127 |
| Anthropologist | Insight, Religion | Insight, Religion | Language x1 | Language x1 | Tomb of Annihilation | 191 |
| Archaeologist | History, Survival | History, Survival | Language x1 | Cartographer's Tools or Navigator's Tools | Tomb of Annihilation | 192 |
| Black Fist Double Agent | Deception, Insight | Deception, Insight | Disguise Kit | choose one from Artisan’s Tools or Gaming Set | CoStrahd | |
| Caravan Specialist | Animal Handling, Survival | Animal Handling, Survival | Language x1 | Land Vehicles | Elemental Evil | |
| Charlatan | Deception, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Sleight of Hand | Disguise Kit | Forgery Kit | PHB | 128 |
| City Watch | Athletics, Insight | Athletics, Insight | Language x1 | Language x1 | SCAG | 145 |
| Clan Crafter | History, Insight | History, Insight | Language x1 | Artisan's Tools x1 | SCAG | 145 |
| Cloistered Scholar | History | choose one from Arcana, Nature or Religion | Language x1 | Language x1 | SCAG | 146 |
| Cormanthor Refugee | Survival, Nature | Survival, Nature | Language (Elven) | Artisan's Tools x1 | RoD | |
| Courtier | Insight, Persuasion | Insight, Persuasion | Language x1 | Language x1 | SCAG | 146 |
| Criminal | Deception, Stealth | Deception, Stealth | Thieves' tools | Gaming Set x1 | PHB | 129 |
| Dissenter (Initiate / Vizier) | Special Background Feature | Plane of Amonkhet | 11 | |||
| Dragon Casualty | Survival, Intimidation | Survival, Intimidation | Language (Draconic) | Artisan's Tools (based on your Origin) | CoStrahd | |
| Earthspur Miner | Athletics, Survival | Athletics, Survival | Language (Dwarven) | Language (Undercommon) | Elemental Evil | |
| Entertainer | Acrobatics, Performance | Acrobatics, Performance | Disguise Kit | Musical Instrument x1 | PHB | 130 |
| Faction Agent | Insight | choose one appropriate to your faction: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, Survival, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion | Language x1 | Language x1 | SCAG | 147 |
| Far Traveler | Insight, Perception | Insight, Perception | Language x1 | Musical Instrument x1 | SCAG | 148 |
| Folk Hero | Animal Handling, Survival | Animal Handling, Survival | Artisan's Tools x1 | Land Vehicles | PHB | 131 |
| Gate Urchin | Deception, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Sleight of Hand | Thieves' Tools | Musical Instrument x1 | RoD | |
| Gladiator | Acrobatics, Performance | Acrobatics, Performance | Disguise Kit | Unusual Weapon x1 | PHB | 130 |
| Guild Artisan | Insight, Persuasion | Insight, Persuasion | Language x1 | Artisan's Tools x1 | PHB | 132 |
| Guild Merchant | Insight, Persuasion | Insight, Persuasion | Language x1 | Navigator's Tools x1 | PHB | 132 |
| Harborfolk | Athletics, Sleight of Hand | Athletics, Sleight of Hand | Gaming Set x1 | Water Vehicles | Elemental Evil | |
| Haunted One | choose two from among Arcana, Investigation, Religion Survival | choose two from among Arcana, Investigation, Religion Survival | Language (Exotic) | Curse of Strahd | 209 | |
| Heretic | Deception, Religion | Deception, Religion | Language x1 | Language x1 | Ruins of Mezro | 28 |
| Hermit | Medicine, Religion | Medicine, Religion | Language x1 | Herbalism Kit | PHB | 134 |
| Hillsfar Merchant | Insight, Persuasion | Insight, Persuasion | Land Vehicles & Water Vehicles | Land Vehicles & Water Vehicles | RoD | |
| Hillsfar Smuggler | Stealth, Perception | Stealth, Perception | Language x1 | Forgery Kit | RoD | |
| Inheritor | Survival | choose one from Arcana, History or Religion | Gaming Set x1 | Musical Instrument x1 | SCAG | 150 |
| Initiate | Athletics, Intimidation | Athletics, Intimidation | Gaming Set x1 | Land Vehicles | Plane of Amonkhet | 8 |
| Inquisitor | Investigation, Religion | Investigation, Religion | Thieves' Tools | Artisan's Tools x1 | Plane of Innistrad | 12 |
| Investigator | Insight, Investigation | Insight, Investigation | Language x1 | Language x1 | SCAG | 145 |
| Iron Route Bandit | Stealth, Animal Handling | Stealth, Animal Handling | Gaming Set x1 | Land Vehicles | CoStrahd | |
| Knight | History, Persuasion | History, Persuasion | Language x1 | Gaming Set x1 | PHB | 135 |
| Knight of the Order | Persuasion | choose one from Arcana, History, Nature or Religion | Language x1 | Gaming Set or Musical Instrument x1 | SCAG | 151 |
| Mercenary Veteran | Athletics, Persuasion | Athletics, Persuasion | Gaming Set x1 | Land Vehicles | SCAG | 152 |
| Mulmaster Aristocrat | Deception, Performance | Performance | Artisan's Tools x1 | Musical Instrument x1 | Elemental Evil | |
| Noble | History, Persuasion | History, Persuasion | Language x1 | Gaming Set x1 | PHB | 135 |
| Outlander | Athletics, Survival | Athletics, Survival | Language x1 | Musical Instrument x1 | PHB | 136 |
| Phlan Insurgent | Stealth, Survival | Stealth, Survival | Artisan's Tools x1 | Land Vehicles | CoStrahd | |
| Phlan Refugee | Insight, Athletics | Insight, Athletics | Language x1 | Artisan's Tools x1 | Elemental Evil | |
| Pirate | Athletics, Perception | Athletics, Perception | Navigator's Tools | Water Vehicles | PHB | 139 |
| Sage | History, Arcana | History, Arcana | Language x1 | Language x1 | PHB | 137 |
| Sailor | Athletics, Perception | Athletics, Perception | Navigator's Tools | Water Vehicles | PHB | 139 |
| Secret Identity | Deception, Stealth | Deception, Stealth | Disguise Kit | Forgery Kit | RoD | |
| Shade Fanatic | Deception, Intimidation | Deception, Intimidation | Language (Netherese) | Forgery Kit | RoD | |
| Soldier | Athletics, Intimidation | Athletics, Intimidation | Gaming Set x1 | Land Vehicles | PHB | 140 |
| Spy | Deception, Stealth | Deception, Stealth | Thieves' tools | Gaming Set x1 | PHB | 129 |
| Stojanow Prisoner | Deception, Perception | Deception, Perception | Thieves' Tools | Gaming Set x1 | CoStrahd | |
| Ticklebelly Nomad | Animal Handling, Survival | Animal Handling, Survival | Language (Giant) | Herbalism Kit | CoStrahd | |
| Trade Sheriff | Investigation, Persuasion | Investigation, Persuasion | Language (Elven) & Thieves' Tools | Language (Elven) & Thieves' Tools | RoD | |
| Urban Bounty Hunter | Choose two from Deception, Insight, Persuasion or Stealth | Choose two from Deception, Insight, Persuasion or Stealth | choose two from Thieves' Tools, Musical Instrument x1 or Gaming Set x1 | choose two from Thieves' Tools, Musical Instrument x1 or Gaming Set x1 | SCAG | 153 |
| Urchin | Stealth, Sleight of Hand | Stealth, Sleight of Hand | Thieves' Tools | Disguise Kit | PHB | 141 |
| Uthgardt Tribe Member | Athletics, Survival | Athletics, Survival | Language x1 | choose one from Musical Instrument x1 or Artisan's Tools x1 | SCAG | 153 |
| Vizier | History, Religion | History, Religion | Artisan's Tools x1 | Musical Instrument x1 | Plane of Amonkhet | 10 |
| Waterdhavian Noble | History, Persuasion | History, Persuasion | Language x1 | choose one from Musical Instrument x1 or Gaming Set x1 | SCAG | 154 |