Page 147 - D&D - Player's Handbook

CHAPTER 5: BACKGROUNDS

H E BACK GROU NDS DESCRIBED JN T H E rural areas, nearly every settlement of decent size has
Player's Handbook are all found in at least one or two watch members who have the skill to
Faerfi n's various societies, in some investigate crime scenes and track down criminals. If
form or another. This chapter offers your prior experience is as an investigator, you have pro-
additional backgrounds for characters in ficiency in Investigation rather than Athletics.
a Forgotten Realms campaign, many of
them specific to Faerfi n or to the Sword SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Coast and the North in particular. Use the tables for the soldier background in the Player's
As in the Player's Handbook , each of the backgrounds Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations,
presented here provides proficiencies, languages, and modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your
equipment, as well as a background feature and some- identity as a member of the city watch.
times a variant form. For personality traits, ideals, Your bond is likely associated with your fellow watch
bonds, and flaws, most of the backgrounds in this chap- members or the watch organization itself and almost
ter use a thematically similar background in the Player's certainly concerns your community. Your ideal probably
Handbook as their fou ndation. involves the fostering of peace and safety. An investi-
gator is likely to have an ideal connected to achieving
CITY WATCH justice by successfully solving crimes.
You have served the community where you grew up, CLAN CRAFTER
standing as its fi rst line of defense against crime. You
aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible The Stout Folk are well known for their artisanship
enemies. Instead, your service to your hometown was and the worth of their handiworks, and you have been
to help police its populace, protecting the citizenry from trained in that ancient tradition. For years you labored
lawbreakers and malefactors of every stripe. under a dwarf master of the craft, enduring long hours.
You might have been part of the City Watch of Water- and dismissive, sour-tempered treatment in order to
deep, the baton-wielding police force of the City of Splen- gain the fine skills you possess today.
dors, protecting the common folk from thieves and rowdy You are most likely a dwarf, but not necessarily- par-
nobility alike. Or you might have been one of the valiant ticularly in the North, the shield dwarf clans learned
defenders of Silverymoon, a member of the Silverwatch or long ago that only proud fools who are more concerned
even one of the magic-wielding Spellguard. for their egos than their craft turn away promising
Perhaps you hail from Neverwinter and have served apprentices, even those of other races. If you aren't a
as one of its Wintershield watchmen, the newly founded dwarf, however, you have taken a solemn oath never
branch of guards who vow to keep safe the City of to take on an apprentice in the craft: it is not for non-
Skilled Hands. dwarves to pass on the skills of Moradin's favored
Even if you're not city-born or city-bred, this back- children. You would have no difficulty, however, finding
ground can describe your early years as a member of a dwarf master who was willing to receive potential ap-
law enforcement. Most settlements of any size have prentices who came with your recommendation.
their own constables and police forces, and even smaller Skill Proficiencies: History, Insight
communities have sheriffs and bailiffs who stand ready
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools
to protect their community. Languages: Dwarvish or one other of your choice if you
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight already speak Dwarvish
Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: A set of artisan's tools with which you are
Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit and proficient, a maker's mark chisel used to mark your
indicative of your rank, a horn with which to summon handiwork with the symbol of the clan of crafters you
help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing 10 gp learned your skill from, a set of traveler's clothes, and
a pouch containing 5 gp and a gem worth 10 gp
FEATURE: WATCHER'S EYE
Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with FEATURE: RESPECT OF THE STOUT FOLK
lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and crimi- As well respected as clan crafters are among outsiders,
nals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch no one esteems them quite so highly as dwarves do. You
or a similar organization, and just as easily pick out always have free room and board in any place where
the dens of criminal activity in a community, although shield dwarves or gold dwarves dwell, and the individu-
you're more likely to be welcome in the former locations als in such a settlement might vie among themselves to
rather than the latter. determine who can offer you (and possibly your compa-
triots) the finest accommodations and assistance.
VARIANT: INVESTIGATOR
Rarer than watch or patrol members are a community's SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
investigators, who are responsible for solving crimes Use the tables for the guild artisan background in the
after the fact. Though such folk are seldom found in Player's Handbook as the basis for your traits and moti-
vations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit

CHAPTER 5 I BACKGROUNDS
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