Remathilis
Legend
I'd be fine with this "to see what language you learned" approach, IFI think the one thing we can all agree on is that, whatever the final form of these Backgrounds in 2024 is, there needs to be proper guidance on how to create your own - as in, how to create the backstory elements - alongside the samples. This UA is just the rules, presented to experienced players, used to coming up with character concepts. One of the strengths of the Traits/Ideals/Bonds/Flaws framework is that it gives you a way to generate a character by rolling on a few tables. I'd like to see these Backgrounds combined with similar tables:
E.g.
Gladiator - Language (d6)
1: Your comrades in the arena included outsiders from the ungoverned lands to the north, many of whom boasted orc ancestry. (Orcish)
2: You were trained by an elven weaponmaster, rumoured to be an exiled noble from a distant land. (Elvish)
3. Your main rival was a dwarf berserker, with whom you traded many insults before bouts to whip up the crowd's fervour. (Dwarvish)
4. You trained in esoteric, mystic fighting styles with a master of unarmed combat whose people revered angelic overlords. (Celestial)
5. A young kobold was your friend and protégé in the fighters' barracks, but you couldn't protect him in the end. (Draconic)
6. The patron of the arena where you fought was a notorious beholder crime lord, and for a time you became one of its inner circle. (Deep Speech)
1.) there is a table for the ASI, skills, tool, feat, and equipment choices too.
2..) there are six examples/backgrounds tops. That is a lot of space dedicated to giving sample loadouts multiple choice points.