Character Backgrounds
Basically, in the Black
Company setting, everyone is a Human (no demihumans, etc.) To add some flavor, and to expand on the
pasts of characters, in lieu of the normal "free Human feat" that
humans get at first level, you choose a Background from below. In addition to giving you some background
character information, it defines what you can use your Extra Human Skill
Points on, what you can choose as your Free Human Bonus Feat, and you gain a
special ability as a result of your Background.
A pretty good deal; I would recommend implementing this system for
pretty much any campaign (for demihumans, giving them the option of a
Background in lieu of their first level normal feat would be good, I suppose).
Aristocraft
You were a member of the
elite social ranks of your society.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), and Sense Motive. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Negotiator or Skill Focus (any one of
your Background Skills) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are wealthy.
Gain 100 sp. You must spend at
least 50 sp during character generation.
In addition, you may speak one additional language fluently, and gain a
+1 competence bonus on Knowledge (nobility and royalty) skill checks.
Fvored Class: Noble.
Iconic Characters: Lady, the Radisha Drah, Raven.
Beggar
You lived on the streets amongst
the worst of humanity, relying on charity of your thieving skills to survive.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Bluff, Knowledge (local), Profession (beggar), and Survival. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Deceitful or Toughness as a bonus
feat.
Background Trait: You are street smart and handy. You gain a +1 bonus to Fort saves and a +1
competence bonus to Knowledge (local) and Profession (beggar) checks.
Favored Class: Thief.
Iconic Characters: Asa, Wheezer.
Bureaucrat
You were an official in
your city of nation's government.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among Gather
Information, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility and royalty), and Speak
Language. Each level beyond 1st level,
you gain 1 additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Investigator or Skill Focus (any of
your Background skills) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You gain a well-placed contact in your home city's
government. This NPC is always Friendly
(unless you seriously piss him off).
This contact can help you with tasks, information, or even a loan if you
improve his attitude to Helpful. Your GM
may assign a higher DC, based on the nature of the requested favor. Once your contact assists you, her attitude
returns to Friendly. Each additional
time beyond the first that you call on your contact for a favor within a month,
the contact's starting attitude drops a step to Indifferent, Unfriendly, and
finally Hostile. If your contact's
attitude becomes Unfriendly or worse, you must succeed at a DC 25 Diplomacy or
Intimidate check to improve their attitude to Friendly or you lose this
background trait. The contact gained
from this background can be an Aristocraft, Commoner, Expert, or Warrior, and
her character level equals yours -2.
Favored Class: Noble.
Iconic Character: Hagradon, Smoke.
Commoner
You were a farmer, artisan,
or laborer.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Craft, Handle Animal, Profession, and Ride.
Each level beyond 1st leve, you gain 1 additional skill point to place
in any one of these skills. These are
always class skills for you.
Bonus feat: You gain either Endurance or Skill Focus (any Craft or
Profession) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are more productive in your Craft or
Profession. When making skill checks in
Craft in which you have ranks, you produce +25% cp in a week. In addition, when making a Profession check
to practice your trade, you earn your Profession check in xp instead of half
the check.
Favored Class: Any.
Iconic Characters: Murgen, Case, Pawnbroker.
Con Artist
You are a charlatan,
profiting by defrauding and taking advantage of others.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Bluff, Disguise, Sense Motive, and Sleight of Hand. Each lvel beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Deceitful or Persuasive as a bonus
feat.
Background Trait: You are a slick neogtiator. When trying to sell something, and if you
beat your opponent's Sense Motive check with a Bluff check, you sell the item
for 75% of normal price instead of 50%.
Also, you gain a +1 competence bonus to all Bluff and Sense Motive
checks.
Favored Class: Thief.
Iconic Characters: One-Eye, Tom-Tom.
Criminal
You were a small time
criminal, perhaps a cutpurse, swindler, or burglar.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, and Sleight of Hand. Each level beyond 1st leve, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Deceitful or Stealthy as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are quick with your hands. Sleight of Hand checks are move actions for
you. IKn addition, if you try to use
this skill as a free action, you gain a -10 penalty instead of the normal
-20. Finally, you gain a +2 bonus to
Initiative checks.
Favored Class: Thief.
Iconic Characters: Smeds Stahl, Big Bucket.
Engineer
You know all there is to
know about construction and invention.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Craft (any one), Disable Device, Knowledge (architecture and engineering), and
Profession (siege engineer). Each level
beyond 1st level, you gain 1 additional skill point to place in any one of
these skills. These are always class
skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Nimble or Skill Focus (any background
skill) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are adept at dismantling and rebuilding just about
anything you come across. You may make a
Disable Device check to disable a simple device as a standard action, and an
intricate or complex device in 1d3 rounds.
In addition, you gain a +1 competence bonus to all Craft and Disable
Device skill checks.
Favored Class: Scout.
Iconic Characters: Cletus, Loftus.
Entertainer
You made a living
entertaining others.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Perform (any two). Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Acrobatic or Skill Focus (any
background skill) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are skilled with working the crowds. When making a Perform skill check to impress
an audience, you earn +50% of the indicated amount of coin. The DC increases for previous failures are
reduced to 1 per previous failure. You
also gian a +1 competence bonus to all background skills.
Favored Class: Jack-of-all-Trades.
Iconic Characters: [none given]
Fugitive
The authorities want you
for crimes you did or did not commit.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Disguise, Gather information, Hide, and Move Silently. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Endurance or Run as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are skilled at getting away from your
pursuers. You gain a +1 bonus to all
Fortitude and Reflex saves.
Favored Class: Scout.
Iconic Characters: Sleepy.
Hermit
You lived alone, abandoning
the world to live a life of study or simply isolation.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Craft (any one), Knowledge (any one), Survival, and one other skill of your
choice. Each level beyond 1st level, you
gain 1 additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Self Sufficient or Skill Focus (any
one Knowledge) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: In addition, you may recall esoteric bits of
information and lore by succeeding a lore check. You may make a Lore check with a bonus equal
to character level + Intelligence modifier to see whether you know relevant information
about history, the occult, legendary items, or noteworthy places. If you have 5+ ranks of Knowledge (history),
you gain a +2 bonus on this check. You
may not take 10 or 20 on this check, as this sort of knowledge is random.
DC Type
of Knowledge
15 Common, known by at least a
substantial minority - common legends of the local population, etc.
25 Uncommon
but available, known only by a few people - legends.
30 Obscure,
known by few and hard to come by.
35 Extremely
obscure, known by few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, maybe known only by those who do
not understand the significance of the knowledge.
Favored Class: Any.
Special: By selecting this background, you suffer a -2 penalty
on all Charisma checks made when interacting with other people.
Iconic Characters: Baladitya.
Hunter
You were a great hunter and
tracker.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Knowledge (nature), Listen, Spot, and Survival.
Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1 additional skill point to place
in any one of these skills. These are
always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Alertness or Stealthy as a bonus
feat.
Background Trait: You know the wilderness well. You may take 20 when making a Survival check
to get along in the wild. You also gain
a +2 competence bonus to all Knowledge (nature) and Survival skill checks.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Iconic Character: Hagop, Old Man Fish.
Magician's Apprentice
You studied under a
powerful wizard in your youth.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Concentration, Detect Magic, Magic Use, and Prestidigitation. Each level beyond
1st level, you gain an additional skill point to place in any one of these
skills. These are always class skills
for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain Dabbler or Talent as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You may add your Intelligence modifier to all Magic
Use skills. In addition, you get a +1
bonus to Detect Magic and Prestidigitation checks.
Favored Class: Wizard.
Iconic Characters: Tobo, Shukrat, Goblin, Silent.
Merchant
You are a shrewd
businessman.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Appraise, Bluff, Gather Information, and Sense Motive. Each level beyond 1st level,
you gain 1 additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Diligent or Persuasive as a bonus
feat.
Background Trait: You may make Appraise checks as a full-round action
instead of after a full minute. In
addition, you gain a +1 competence bonus to all background skills.
Favored Class: Jack-of-all-Trades.
Iconic Characters: Marron Shed, Gilbert.
Officer
You were a commander of
soldiers.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Command, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Ride.
Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1 additional skill point to place
in any one of these skills. These are
always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Iron Will or Skill Focus (Command) as
a bonus feat.
Background Trait: Once per combat, you can substitute your Command check
for a unit's morale check. You must be
attached to this unit. See Chapter
Nine: Combat for more details.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Iconic Characters: The Captain, Darling, Mogaba.
Physician
You are trained to repair
injuries and heal.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Concentration, Heal, Profession (herbalist), and Survival. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Self Sufficient or Skill Focus (Heal)
as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: Through advanced training in medivine and healing
techniques, you can repair damage at a faster rate. When seeing to a character, you can set
bones, suture lacerations, and apply a myriad of balms, unguents, and other
remedies to expetide the healing process.
Such care requires 1 round per point of damage dealt to the
subject. You must have a clean
environment and adequate supplies to tend to a subject using a physician's
skills. You may convert lethal damage to
nonlethal damage. At the end of the
allotted time, you may make a special Heal check with results as follows:
Heal check result Lethal
damage converted to Nonlethal
15 or less 0
16-20 1d2
21-25 1d3
26-30 1d4
31-35 1d6
36-40 1d8
41-45 1d10
46+ 1D12
You may attempt this Heal check once per day per character
treated. In addition, when providing
long-term care (see the Heal skill in the PHB), subjects recover hit
points or ability points at three times the normal rate: 3 hit points per level
for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 6 hit points per level for each full
day o complete rest; 3 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a
day, or 6 ability points each full day of complete rest. In addition, you can tend to as many as
twelve patients at a time.
Favored Class: Academician.
Iconic Characters: Croaker, Pockets.
Priest
You were an important part
of a particular faith.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), and Knowledge (religion). Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain Iron Will or Skill Focus (any Background
Skill) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You rely on the power of your conviction to get you
through the worst. You gain a +2 morale
bonus to all saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. In addition, you gaina +1 bonus to all
background skills.
Favored Class: Academician or Zealot.
Iconic Characters: Hong Tray, Daughter of Night, Narayan Sing, Uncle Doj.
Prostitute
You sold your body for
money.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Bluff, Perform, Sense Motive, and Sleight of Hand. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Negotiator or Persuasive as a bonus
feat.
Background Trait: You have seen it all.
You ignore the sickened condition.
In addition, you gain a +3 competence bonus to all saving throws made to
resist disease.
Favored Class: Jack-of-all-Trades.
Iconic Characters: Sue.
Sailor
You spent most of your life
at sea.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Balance, Climb, Profession (sailor), or Use Rope. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Agile or Endurance as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You have your sea legs. Gain a +2 bonus to all Dexterity based skill
checks as a +2 bonus to Initiative checks while on a boat.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Iconic Character: The Lieutenant.
Scholar
You studied at a
university.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
any four Knowledge skills. Each level
beyond 1st level, you gain 1 additional skill point to place in any one of
these skills. Knowledge (all) is always
a class skill for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Diligent or Skill Focus (any
Knowledge) as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You have a firm grasp on a number of different
subjects. You gain a +2 bonus on all
Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skill checks.
Favored Class: Academician
Iconic Characters: Bomanz, Master Santaraksita.
Soldier
You were a professional
soldier, working as a mercenary, rebel, Imperial, or as a guard int he service
of a city-state.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Command, Intimidate, Profession (soldier), and Survival. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain proficiency in all Martial Weapons. If you select a class already providing
proficiency in these weapons, you gain Weapon Focus (in one weapon) instead.
Background Trait: You are a hardened warrior. You may demoralize foes using the Intimidate
skill as a move action instead of a standard action. In addition, you ain a +2 bonus to your
Initiative checks.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Iconic Characters: Elmo, Candy, Otto.
Smuggler
You were a successful
smuggler, moving illegal goods to buyers.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Appraise, Bluff, Forgery, and Sense Motive.
Each level beyond 1st leve, you gain 1 additional skill point to place
in any one of these skills. These are
always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Alertness or Persuasive aa bonus feat.
Background Trait: You know how to make contacts in the underworld, even when
away from your home city. You may use
Knowledge (local) in any city you visit.
In addition, you gain +2 competence bonus to all Appraise, Bluff, and
Sense Motive checks.
Favored Class: Thief.
Iconic Characters: Do Trang.
Thug
You were a killer, brute,
or a bully, cpable of doing anything to get what you wanted.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
ppraise, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Survival. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Improved Unarmed Strike or Toughness
as a bonus feat.
Background Trait: You are intimidating.
You may substitute your Strength for Charisma when making Gather Information
or Intimidate checks. In addition, you
gain a +1 bonus to all Fort saves and Initiative checks.
Favored Class: Fighter.
Iconic Characters: Bullock, Count, Mercy.
Tomb Robber
You made a living
plundering tombs and exploring old burial vaults.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Appraise, Disable Device, Open Locks, and Use Rope. Each level beyond 1st level, you gain 1
additional skill point to place in any one of these skills. These are always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Deft Hands or Nimble Fingers as a
bonus feat.
Background Trait: You can get into well-protected areas with ease. You can open a lock as a standard action
instead of a full round action. In
addition, you gain a +1 competence bonus to all background skills.
Favored Class: Thief.
Iconic Characters: [none mentioned].
Tribesman
You come from an
uncivilized people, such as from those living in the Great Forest, the Plains
of Fear, or from the D'loc-Aloc Jungle.
Skills: You gain 4 skill points to divide as you wish among
Hide, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival.
Each level beynd 1st level, you gain 1 additional skill point to place
ina ny one of these skills. These are
always class skills for you.
Bonus Feat: You gain either Alertness or Self Sufficient as a
bonus feat.
Background Trait: You can move through undergrowth at normal speed
without suffering any other impairment and without taking damage. Magical manipulation of undergrowth still
affects you. In addition, you gain a +2
insight bonus to Survival checks.
Favored Class: Ranger.
Iconic Characters: The Freak and the Geek.