Quickleaf
Legend
[h=4]Backgrounds in Planescape[/h]
Acolyte: Missionaries to Sigil, proxies-in-training, and failed priests all fit this background, as do orphans left on temple steps, thieves endentured to temples they tried to steal from, and Athar raised in the faction. For example, you could be the child of a defeated enemy of the faith raised in the temple so the priests could guide you to the light (and watch you for signs of darkness).
Charlatan: Deceitful touts (guides), larcenous jinkskirts (escorts), and general cony-catchers (con-artists) all fit this background, as do fixers, gold-diggers, and those who lie about their true nature to seek revenge. For example, you could have been part of a heist to land a major score in Dwarven Mountain or the Iron City of Dis only for the plan to have gone terribly wrong.
Criminal: Cross-traders come in many shades: Hinterlands bandits preying on caravans in the Outlands, smugglers of forbidden spell components, and rube-hitchers who specialize in stealing from a victim then ditching them thru a portal are just some of the colorful sorts of knights-of-the-cross-trade that frequent the planes. For example, you might be a former member of the Arcane Eye thieves' guild specializing in abducting magical specimens for the slave trade.
Variant - Spy: Replace one of your tool proficiencies with a language instead. Members of the Bytopian Spy Network, covert faction agents, and spies in the Blood War fit this variant background.
Entertainer: Storytellers with fabulous tales of their ventures across the planes, poets extolling the virtues of the Upper Planes or terror of the Lower Planes, and gypsies practicing strange fireside dances all fit this background,whether used to performing in the taverns of Sigil, the first halls of Arborea and Ysgard, or forced to sing panegyrics in a fiend's court. For example, you might be a dramatist who lampooned the wrong fiend only to find yourself forced into early retirement.
Variant - Gladiator: Brawlers in Hive ward fighting rings, slaves forced to kill each other for the amusement of fiends, and the more rowdy natives of Ysgard fit this variant background.
Folk Hero: Folk heroes can hail from the planes just as easily as they can from the Prime. Leaders of movements to keep a gate-town in the Outlands, those who outwitted vastly more powerful beings, and freedom-fighters against oppressors fit this background. For example, you may have been a simple Bytopian farmer who realized you were getting an unfair share of the profits due to a wicked Tradegate merchant who you promptly put out of business.
Guild Artisan: Guilds in Sigil include the Advocate's Guild, Builders Fellowship, Council of Innkeepers, Daylaborer's Guild, Doorsnoop's Guild, Escort and Touts Guild, Order of Master Clerks and Scribes, Runners and Messengers Guild, Teamster and Lightboy's Guild, Undertaker's Guild. For example, you might be a former Doorsnoop discovering gate keys for new or unknown portals who distanced yourself form your guild in the wake of a series of murders, the victims all Doorsnoops.
Variant - Guild Merchant: Members of the Planar Trade Consortium, traders of Bytopia, and Outlands caravan masters fit this variant background.
*Variant - Doorsnoop: Rather than proficiency with artisan's tools, gain an additional language. And instead of artisan's tools begin with a gate key to a portal that you know.
Hermit: Seekers of spiritual truth in the remote reaches of the planes, prisoners in extra-dimensional oubliettes, and those trying to forget darkness that has touched their lived fit this background. Suitable retreats might include githzerai monasteries in Limbo, Doomguard citadels at the edge of the Negative Energy Plane, or starry astrolabes in the Astral. For example, you might be atoning for a murder you committed by aiding the infirmed even though you committed the murder while under the compulsion of a charm spell that you haven't forgiven yourself for.
Noble: Hereditary nobility of towns like Excelsior, minor descendants of fiendish aristocracy, and the family of a Factol all fit this background, as do nobles of some Prime duchy or barony.
Variant - Knight: The knighthoods that exist on the planes are of limited geographic scope or only recognized within specific faiths, such as followers of Heironeous or St. Cuthbert. Sometimes knighthood may involve swearing fealty to a more powerful planar being who serves as your liege.
Outlander: While this background does indeed fit many natives of the Outlands, it is also well suited to natives of the Beastlands, Carceri, bariaur tribes, and raiders of mercenary troops turned stag. For example, you might be a part-time resident of Ironridge, a mountain town in the Outlands, trapping and scouting for resources to aid the town.
Sage: Academics full of wonder at the planes, accursed desperately searching for a way to end their curse, and amnesiacs seeking the truth of their identities all fit this background. Famous libraries and lore-keepers you may have visited include: Boccob's Library of Lore (Outlands), Deneir's Library of All Knowledge (Beastlands), the Cup of Freedom (Sigil), the Great Library (Outlands), the Hall of Records (Sigil), the Library of Ignorance (Carceri), the Katsudarma Library (Mount Celestia), the Library of Heart's Faith (Mount Celestia), the Libarary of Infernal Law (Baator), the Mirrored Library (Outlands), the Norns (Outlands), and many more.
Sailor: Sailors aboard astral vessels, crew serving on planar dromands docking at the City of Brass, and captains of longships navigating Elysium's seas all fit this background, as do oarsmen who ply the dark waters of the Styx or bright waters of the River Oceanus. Examples of planar oceans include the Sea of Thalasia (Elysium), the Sea of Timelessness (Water), Sea of Scorching Waves / Sea of Fire (Fire), the Amoebic Sea (Abyss), the Scalding Sea (Abyss), the Frozen Sea (Abyss), the Scarlet Sea (Abyss), the Sea of Stones (Acheron), the Living Sea (Astral), the Sparkling Sea (Arborea), Ossa (Arborea), the Waveless Sea (Ethereal), the Silver Sea (Mount Celestia), the Great Sea of Stygian (Baator), and the realms of several ocean gods.
Variant - Pirate: Demi-plane marauders who strike from the Ethereal, captains of Astral vessels pirating against the githyanki, and pirates slipping between worlds thru the Plane of Shadow fit this variant background.
Soldier: Brave guards defending Outlands towns from raiders, natives of Ysgard who fight alongside einherjar spirits of their ancestors, and foot soldiers in the armies of Arcadia fit this background. Mortal armies are generally small on the planes, with large armies made up of more powerful planar creatures. For example, you might be a rogue modron who once served in the modron's Army of the Blood War as a sapper.
*Variant - Mercenary: Blood War mercenaries, soldiers without cause on Acheron, and cutters fighting the battles that angels cannot to protect the Upper Planes for coin fit this variant background. Replace the "military rank" feature with "bad reputation" from the Pirate.
Urchin: Sadly, there are many urchins across the planes, whether unwanted tieflings abandoned to the cold streets of Sigil, slaves to the efreeti in the City of Brass, or runaways from insufferable homes.
*Variant - Lightboy: Lightboys are unique to Sigil, urchins who've acquired wands of light and serve as cheap guides to Sigil at night. Replace disguise kit proficiency with an additional language, and replace the 10 gold in your belt pouch with a wand of light that functions as a bullseye lantern with 3 charges (each charge acts as a pint of oil).
Acolyte: Missionaries to Sigil, proxies-in-training, and failed priests all fit this background, as do orphans left on temple steps, thieves endentured to temples they tried to steal from, and Athar raised in the faction. For example, you could be the child of a defeated enemy of the faith raised in the temple so the priests could guide you to the light (and watch you for signs of darkness).
Charlatan: Deceitful touts (guides), larcenous jinkskirts (escorts), and general cony-catchers (con-artists) all fit this background, as do fixers, gold-diggers, and those who lie about their true nature to seek revenge. For example, you could have been part of a heist to land a major score in Dwarven Mountain or the Iron City of Dis only for the plan to have gone terribly wrong.
Criminal: Cross-traders come in many shades: Hinterlands bandits preying on caravans in the Outlands, smugglers of forbidden spell components, and rube-hitchers who specialize in stealing from a victim then ditching them thru a portal are just some of the colorful sorts of knights-of-the-cross-trade that frequent the planes. For example, you might be a former member of the Arcane Eye thieves' guild specializing in abducting magical specimens for the slave trade.
Variant - Spy: Replace one of your tool proficiencies with a language instead. Members of the Bytopian Spy Network, covert faction agents, and spies in the Blood War fit this variant background.
Entertainer: Storytellers with fabulous tales of their ventures across the planes, poets extolling the virtues of the Upper Planes or terror of the Lower Planes, and gypsies practicing strange fireside dances all fit this background,whether used to performing in the taverns of Sigil, the first halls of Arborea and Ysgard, or forced to sing panegyrics in a fiend's court. For example, you might be a dramatist who lampooned the wrong fiend only to find yourself forced into early retirement.
Variant - Gladiator: Brawlers in Hive ward fighting rings, slaves forced to kill each other for the amusement of fiends, and the more rowdy natives of Ysgard fit this variant background.
Folk Hero: Folk heroes can hail from the planes just as easily as they can from the Prime. Leaders of movements to keep a gate-town in the Outlands, those who outwitted vastly more powerful beings, and freedom-fighters against oppressors fit this background. For example, you may have been a simple Bytopian farmer who realized you were getting an unfair share of the profits due to a wicked Tradegate merchant who you promptly put out of business.
Guild Artisan: Guilds in Sigil include the Advocate's Guild, Builders Fellowship, Council of Innkeepers, Daylaborer's Guild, Doorsnoop's Guild, Escort and Touts Guild, Order of Master Clerks and Scribes, Runners and Messengers Guild, Teamster and Lightboy's Guild, Undertaker's Guild. For example, you might be a former Doorsnoop discovering gate keys for new or unknown portals who distanced yourself form your guild in the wake of a series of murders, the victims all Doorsnoops.
Variant - Guild Merchant: Members of the Planar Trade Consortium, traders of Bytopia, and Outlands caravan masters fit this variant background.
*Variant - Doorsnoop: Rather than proficiency with artisan's tools, gain an additional language. And instead of artisan's tools begin with a gate key to a portal that you know.
Hermit: Seekers of spiritual truth in the remote reaches of the planes, prisoners in extra-dimensional oubliettes, and those trying to forget darkness that has touched their lived fit this background. Suitable retreats might include githzerai monasteries in Limbo, Doomguard citadels at the edge of the Negative Energy Plane, or starry astrolabes in the Astral. For example, you might be atoning for a murder you committed by aiding the infirmed even though you committed the murder while under the compulsion of a charm spell that you haven't forgiven yourself for.
Noble: Hereditary nobility of towns like Excelsior, minor descendants of fiendish aristocracy, and the family of a Factol all fit this background, as do nobles of some Prime duchy or barony.
Variant - Knight: The knighthoods that exist on the planes are of limited geographic scope or only recognized within specific faiths, such as followers of Heironeous or St. Cuthbert. Sometimes knighthood may involve swearing fealty to a more powerful planar being who serves as your liege.
Outlander: While this background does indeed fit many natives of the Outlands, it is also well suited to natives of the Beastlands, Carceri, bariaur tribes, and raiders of mercenary troops turned stag. For example, you might be a part-time resident of Ironridge, a mountain town in the Outlands, trapping and scouting for resources to aid the town.
Sage: Academics full of wonder at the planes, accursed desperately searching for a way to end their curse, and amnesiacs seeking the truth of their identities all fit this background. Famous libraries and lore-keepers you may have visited include: Boccob's Library of Lore (Outlands), Deneir's Library of All Knowledge (Beastlands), the Cup of Freedom (Sigil), the Great Library (Outlands), the Hall of Records (Sigil), the Library of Ignorance (Carceri), the Katsudarma Library (Mount Celestia), the Library of Heart's Faith (Mount Celestia), the Libarary of Infernal Law (Baator), the Mirrored Library (Outlands), the Norns (Outlands), and many more.
Sailor: Sailors aboard astral vessels, crew serving on planar dromands docking at the City of Brass, and captains of longships navigating Elysium's seas all fit this background, as do oarsmen who ply the dark waters of the Styx or bright waters of the River Oceanus. Examples of planar oceans include the Sea of Thalasia (Elysium), the Sea of Timelessness (Water), Sea of Scorching Waves / Sea of Fire (Fire), the Amoebic Sea (Abyss), the Scalding Sea (Abyss), the Frozen Sea (Abyss), the Scarlet Sea (Abyss), the Sea of Stones (Acheron), the Living Sea (Astral), the Sparkling Sea (Arborea), Ossa (Arborea), the Waveless Sea (Ethereal), the Silver Sea (Mount Celestia), the Great Sea of Stygian (Baator), and the realms of several ocean gods.
Variant - Pirate: Demi-plane marauders who strike from the Ethereal, captains of Astral vessels pirating against the githyanki, and pirates slipping between worlds thru the Plane of Shadow fit this variant background.
Soldier: Brave guards defending Outlands towns from raiders, natives of Ysgard who fight alongside einherjar spirits of their ancestors, and foot soldiers in the armies of Arcadia fit this background. Mortal armies are generally small on the planes, with large armies made up of more powerful planar creatures. For example, you might be a rogue modron who once served in the modron's Army of the Blood War as a sapper.
*Variant - Mercenary: Blood War mercenaries, soldiers without cause on Acheron, and cutters fighting the battles that angels cannot to protect the Upper Planes for coin fit this variant background. Replace the "military rank" feature with "bad reputation" from the Pirate.
Urchin: Sadly, there are many urchins across the planes, whether unwanted tieflings abandoned to the cold streets of Sigil, slaves to the efreeti in the City of Brass, or runaways from insufferable homes.
*Variant - Lightboy: Lightboys are unique to Sigil, urchins who've acquired wands of light and serve as cheap guides to Sigil at night. Replace disguise kit proficiency with an additional language, and replace the 10 gold in your belt pouch with a wand of light that functions as a bullseye lantern with 3 charges (each charge acts as a pint of oil).