Character Generation > Backgrounds
Backgrounds are a way to further customize a character beyond their race and class. They, in fact, are made of two parts : Origins & Social Background.
Origin
This is where the character hails from. Origins each give a Regional Feat and Regional Attribute Modifiers.
Geographical Origin
Eastern Heibesu Continent Western Heibesu Continent Northern Heibesu Continent Imperial City* Imperial City (Slums)* Wild Mainland : Settled Lands Wild Mainland : Untamed Wilderness Daarian Continent (Surface) Daarian Continent (Undergrd) Daaria City Catharian Continent Ameiko Island Colonies Ragondan Mainland** |
Racial Restriction
No Drow/Halflings No Drow/Halflings No Drow/Halflings No Drow/Tengu N/A N/A N/A No Drow/Dwarves No Drow/Tengu No Drow/Tengu Kitsune and Ton'keena only Kitsune and Ton'keena only Kitsune and Ton'keena only |
Regional Attribute Modifiers & Regional Feat
+1 INT, +1 CON, Artisan +1 INT, +1 CHA, Merchant, Harvester +1 INT, +1 DEX, Highlander +1 INT, +1 CHA, Merchant, Civilized +1 INT, +1 WIS, Poverty-Stricken, Child of the Streets +1 WIS, +1 CON, Frontier-Forged +1 WIS, +1 STR, Disease Resistant +1 CHA, +1 CON, +2 Fortitude Saving Throws +1 CHA, +1 DEX, +2 Fortitude Saving Throws +1 CHA, +1 WIS, Charming +1 CON, +1 STR, Cold Resilience +1 DEX, +1 CON, Seafarer, +1 on Profession (Sailor) SR 5 + CON modifier |
Roll Table
1-20 20-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80 81-85 85-95 96-99 100 |
* : Imperial Cities are big cities (over 100k inhabitants). Heibesu City, Ninomiya and Deidora count as Imperial Cities.
** : Very few Kitsune cling to their arcane-corrupted homeworld. Kitsune and Ton'keena that live on the Ragondan Mainland
are very likely to be Sorcerers or Yamabushi, though artisans and servants also live there.
** : Very few Kitsune cling to their arcane-corrupted homeworld. Kitsune and Ton'keena that live on the Ragondan Mainland
are very likely to be Sorcerers or Yamabushi, though artisans and servants also live there.
Social Background
Characters also have a background - what they did prior to their adventures and such.
A Word on Nobility :
Characters can be part of the local Nobility. The Noble status works like an alignment : it can be gained or lost depending on the player's actions. Nobles must take the Nobility feat as their starting feat.
A character can be disgraced and lose their Noble rank through their actions (for instance, high treason for conspiring against the Empire). In that case, they lose the Nobility feat and replace it with the Lost Nobility feat. A character that lost their Noble status can no longer take levels in the Samurai or Yamabushi classes, however they retain all of their previously learned abilities. If the character atones, they might regain the Nobility feat instead of the Lost Nobility one when they get reinstated.
More information on Nobility here.
Backgrounds marked with a * can only be taken if you have either the Nobility or Lost Nobility feats.
Occupation Backgrounds
A Word on Nobility :
Characters can be part of the local Nobility. The Noble status works like an alignment : it can be gained or lost depending on the player's actions. Nobles must take the Nobility feat as their starting feat.
A character can be disgraced and lose their Noble rank through their actions (for instance, high treason for conspiring against the Empire). In that case, they lose the Nobility feat and replace it with the Lost Nobility feat. A character that lost their Noble status can no longer take levels in the Samurai or Yamabushi classes, however they retain all of their previously learned abilities. If the character atones, they might regain the Nobility feat instead of the Lost Nobility one when they get reinstated.
More information on Nobility here.
Backgrounds marked with a * can only be taken if you have either the Nobility or Lost Nobility feats.
Occupation Backgrounds
- Tribal Backgrounds
Though "Tribal" is a bit of a mismomer, those backgrounds are for characters who come from hunter-gathering societies or less civilized tribes. These would include non-colonies in the Untamed Wilderness, Tengu villages, and some tribal Kitsune and Ton'keena settlements. Not all characters with this background have to be aggressive and unmannered. All 1st-level barbarians hail from this background.
- Maritime Backgrounds
There is a lot of ocean and where there is ocean, there are ships. A character with a maritime background will have spent some time on the sea, whether as an Ameiko captain, a pirate, a Daarian bounty hunter, etc. Buccaneers always hail from this background.
Admirals are Noble Bushi and choose 1 of the following skills as class skills. If a skill you select is already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.
Appraise, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (religion), Linguistics, Ride, Sense Motive
- Wandering Backgrounds
Some professions require constantly wandering around the land, whether lawfully or not.
2D10
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Occupation
Acolyte (such as Shrine Maidens) Bandit Beggar Con Artist Courier Diplomat* Entertainer Gladiator Guide Healer Hermit Hunter Investigator Merchant Noble Warrior* Nomad Squire* Thief Woodsman |
- Religious Backgrounds
Whether of the Chantry religion or something else altogether, these backgrounds are for people who devote themselves to their religion, or who find themselves within the administration of a particular Chantry.
Within the Empire, Wizards and Ton'keena Sorcerers do not have to hail from such a background, though Wizards that do not abide by the Arcane Consort will find access to Mages' Guild and Academy services very difficult to obtain, and Ton'keena Sorcerers can be hunted down if they are not supervised by the Consort.
1st-level Inquisitors all hail from this background.
D10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Occupation
Acolyte (such as a shrine maiden or a priest) Apprentice Arcane Student (such as a Wizard or a Sorcerer) Diplomat (such as a Chantry Mediator) Guardian Healer Investigator (such as Inquisitors or people of the Magistrates Class) Noble Warrior* (such as the Yamabushi) Scholar Scribe |
- Rural Backgrounds
Characters with rural backgrounds come from the countryside, or from rural and less developed areas.
- Village Backgrounds
Characters with these backgrounds come from small towns, hamlets, or other settlements. Villages are an intermediary step between the countryside and urban worlds, including forests and the estate of feudal nobles.
D10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
- Urban Backgrounds
Urban occupations are those frequently encountered in a large town or city. Specialists thrive in this environment.
2D12
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
- Castle Backgrounds
Castle backgrounds are those of noble and commoners who work in fort, castles and palaces.
D12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
- Nobility Backgrounds
These backgrounds are for players who want to assume the role of nobility - may it be Imperial nobility or from elsewhere. .
D6
1 2 3 4 5 6 |