Character backgrounds

[Desdichado]

doesn't the sample character in the PHB after each class also do this?

No, he's talking about backgrounds that are essentially your native culture, and mechanically they do things like make certain skills always class skills, and the like.

In WoT, what it does is change your automatic language(s), give you a handful (usually 2 tops) skills that are always class skills, and allows you to use your bonus human feat at 1^st level on an exlusive feat or two.

Rich, if all you're looking for is an example of how it's done, I actually made up a number of them for a homebrew that I played around with for a while before moving on to another homebrew leaving this one unplayed. You can still see the files right here though for reference.

 

[der_kluge]

Way back when my friends and I tried to create our own RPG and we had something like this. Basically, you had to roll to see what your family's profession was. If you rolled 00 on the percentile, you could roll on a second, more rare chart that included things like "circus freak" or "royalty". There was even a third chart that included things like "born of a virgin birth" or "found under a cabbage leaf".

Yea, we got kind of carried away with it. But, every "package" had inherent starting skill modifiers that would change the way your character was made.

The base table has two percentiles - one for small villages, and another for larger cities. The larger city roll has things like "glassblower" or "jeweler" - things a small city won't likely have. So, you can use whichever depending on the size of the city the player is starting in.

Email me if you want it. It's not d20, but it should translate fairly well.

 

[diaglo]

so this won't help either: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20010208b

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Since there seems to be a wee bit of confusuion on what I'm looking for, here is an example taken from the Black Company preview PDF:

BEGGAR
You lived on the streets amongst the worst of humanity, relying on charity or 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 one 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 hardy. You gain a +1 bonus to Fortitude saves and a +1 competence bonus to Knowledge (local) and Profession (beggar) skill checks.
Favored Class: Thief.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Rich, if all you're looking for is an example of how it's done, I actually made up a number of them for a homebrew that I played around with for a while before moving on to another homebrew leaving this one unplayed. You can still see the files right here though for reference.

Oh, I can do them, I'm just trying to save myself the work if I can steal them from somewhere else. I might just steal a few of yours!

so this won't help either:

Nope, sorry. But thanks for trying!

 

[Desdichado]

Well, mine might be a mite underpowered relative to those from the Black Company. The mechanics were just a bit different.