redrick
First Post
Background features provide narrative power for a PC so they can accomplish tasks, and often have certain limitations present to prevent them from abusing it. But make no mistake, a Feature is there for the Player, not the DM. That's the entire point of features. Even the book defines them as a "concrete benefit."
For the Folk Hero, it allows the player to gain shelter for their party, so long as they're not threatening the commoners or otherwise being a danger to them. That's a player's power. Without such a feature, a player may need to make a check to see if it happens, or have to go through some roleplay, but the feature just allows it to happen. No checks needed. No permission needed. Even if the other party members are being active dicks to the commoners, that PC could still gain shelter. That is what narrative power is.
100%.
The Criminal Contact feature doesn't exist so that the DM can say, "Oh, Steve, by the way, your criminal contact called." It exists so that Steve can say, "I'm a Criminal, so I have some sort of Criminal Contact in every city. Can I reach out to them and see if I can get some information?" At which point it is on the DM to say, "Of course you do." And then figure something out.