D&D 5E Missing Backgrounds

[Gradine]

I made an investigator background the other day!

Skills: Stealth, Investigation
Tools: Thieves' tools, one language
trait: false background (from Charlatan)

It was for my Dwarven druid!

Contact (from Criminal) also makes an excellent feature for Investigator-types. Basically they're your informant.

 

[Andor]

Okay, I took a spin at making a Scholarly background, thoughts?

I was going to make an Apprentice background, but I really don't see a way to improve on the Guild Artisan background for that sort of thing.

Academy Student

You attended a prestigious Academy or University. Your family was wealthy and powerful enough to gain your entrance or perhaps through luck and talent you caught the eye of a patron who paid your way or sponsored a scholarship for you. You learned a great deal at university and your classmates were the sons of Kings, Merchants, and Powerful Wizards. While the skills you gained will stand you in good stead through the rest of your life, it is the friendships you formed that you treasure the most.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, History or Arcana
Tool Proficiencies: One type of Gaming Set
Languages: One of Choice
Equipment:A Diploma scroll in a case, a set of fine clothes, a set of scholarly robes, a gaming set, and a book with notes scribbled in the margins, a ring with your schools crest, and a belt pouch with 10 gp.

Major
Choose or roll on the table to determine what your degree is in:
1 Philosophy
2 Statecraft
3 History
4 Medicine
5 Engineering
6 Magic

Feature
Alumni
Attending a great University forms bonds that last a lifetime. It forms a common experience that links graduates even of different generations. In any large town or hall of power you will be able to find a fellow alumnus who will be willing to at least listen to whatever you propose. They are under no obligation to help you, certainly not at risk to themselves, but you can at very least get a foot in the door. If they are wealthy enough they will be happy to host you and your party for a few days to swap tales and gossip about the old Alma Matter.
You may occasionally be approached by fellow alums who wish to ask you for favors. You are not obliged to help, but if you don’t word will spread along the school network, and your reputation will suffer.

Suggested Characteristics
University graduates are the elite of the world and they know it. They know how the world works and they have the ears of those in power. Their classmates included Princes and the sons of powerful bureaucrats. They studied Tactics and Spellcraft and argued Philosophy with summoned outsiders. They can accomplish great things but may fall prey to over ambition.
Personality Trait
1 Pedant
2 Snob
3 Gourmand
4 Social Climber
5 Rake
6 Life of the Party

Ideal
1 Tradition
2 Progress
3 Ambition
4 Invention
5 Art
6 Statesman

Bond
1 I would do anything for a classmate.
2 I am a firm believer in a cause I learned of at University.
3 I am a loyal servant of my King.
4 I am eternally grateful to the Patron who guided me through school.
5 History must be chronicled and preserved at all costs.
6 Magic is a force that can make the world a better place.

Flaw
1 Elitest
2 Ambitious
3 Schemer
4 Practical Joker
5 Plagarist
6 The fools! I’ll show them all!

 

[GameDoc]

Okay, I took a spin at making a Scholarly background, thoughts?

I was going to make an Apprentice background, but I really don't see a way to improve on the Guild Artisan background for that sort of thing.

Academy Student

You attended a prestigious Academy or University. Your family was wealthy and powerful enough to gain your entrance or perhaps through luck and talent you caught the eye of a patron who paid your way or sponsored a scholarship for you. You learned a great deal at university and your classmates were the sons of Kings, Merchants, and Powerful Wizards. While the skills you gained will stand you in good stead through the rest of your life, it is the friendships you formed that you treasure the most.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, History or Arcana
Tool Proficiencies: One type of Gaming Set
Languages: One of Choice
Equipment:A Diploma scroll in a case, a set of fine clothes, a set of scholarly robes, a gaming set, and a book with notes scribbled in the margins, a ring with your schools crest, and a belt pouch with 10 gp.

Major
Choose or roll on the table to determine what your degree is in:
1 Philosophy
2 Statecraft
3 History
4 Medicine
5 Engineering
6 Magic

Feature
Alumni
Attending a great University forms bonds that last a lifetime. It forms a common experience that links graduates even of different generations. In any large town or hall of power you will be able to find a fellow alumnus who will be willing to at least listen to whatever you propose. They are under no obligation to help you, certainly not at risk to themselves, but you can at very least get a foot in the door. If they are wealthy enough they will be happy to host you and your party for a few days to swap tales and gossip about the old Alma Matter.
You may occasionally be approached by fellow alums who wish to ask you for favors. You are not obliged to help, but if you don’t word will spread along the school network, and your reputation will suffer.

Suggested Characteristics
University graduates are the elite of the world and they know it. They know how the world works and they have the ears of those in power. Their classmates included Princes and the sons of powerful bureaucrats. They studied Tactics and Spellcraft and argued Philosophy with summoned outsiders. They can accomplish great things but may fall prey to over ambition.
Personality Trait
1 Pedant
2 Snob
3 Gourmand
4 Social Climber
5 Rake
6 Life of the Party

Ideal
1 Tradition
2 Progress
3 Ambition
4 Invention
5 Art
6 Statesman

Bond
1 I would do anything for a classmate.
2 I am a firm believer in a cause I learned of at University.
3 I am a loyal servant of my King.
4 I am eternally grateful to the Patron who guided me through school.
5 History must be chronicled and preserved at all costs.
6 Magic is a force that can make the world a better place.

Flaw
1 Elitest
2 Ambitious
3 Schemer
4 Practical Joker
5 Plagarist
6 The fools! I’ll show them all!

Pretty cool. A couple of things that come to mind: You might consider proficiency with calligrapher's or mapmaker's tools as opposed to a gaming set and/or limit the gaming set proficiency to chess. Also consider Performance as a possible skill. Classical university educations entailed a strong focus
on oration, debate, and rhetoric.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Pretty cool. A couple of things that come to mind: You might consider proficiency with calligrapher's or mapmaker's tools as opposed to a gaming set and/or limit the gaming set proficiency to chess. Also consider Performance as a possible skill. Classical university educations entailed a strong focus
on oration, debate, and rhetoric.

As someone who teaches at a university, I think I can say with a joking confidence that Insight is the last thing one learns at University.

 

[Andor]

Pretty cool. A couple of things that come to mind: You might consider proficiency with calligrapher's or mapmaker's tools as opposed to a gaming set and/or limit the gaming set proficiency to chess. Also consider Performance as a possible skill. Classical university educations entailed a strong focus
on oration, debate, and rhetoric.

Background granted skills are explicitly flexible anyway, so I didn't sweat it too much. And the gaming set is not meant to reflect on a taught subject, but reflect the social aspect of university. So chess, poker, go, and rugby are all equally valid.

As someone who teaches at a university, I think I can say with a joking confidence that Insight is the last thing one learns at University.

Well true insight perhaps, although god knows if you don't learn it there you're not likely to anywhere else. But recall that 5e Insight is skill at reading people. Will Prof Farnsworth notice I'm plagerizing his own thesis? Will any one notice if I cut this lecture to chase the new barmaid? Can I bribe this guardsmen to look the other way while I smuggle this corpse into my anatomy class?

 

[GameDoc]

As someone who teaches at a university, I think I can say with a joking confidence that Insight is the last thing one learns at University.

I'm laughing at this post as I prepare to teach my own course this afternoon. Always nice to meet another man of letters.

 

[GameDoc]

Well true insight perhaps, although god knows if you don't learn it there you're not likely to anywhere else. But recall that 5e Insight is skill at reading people. Will Prof Farnsworth notice I'm plagerizing his own thesis? Will any one notice if I cut this lecture to chase the new barmaid? Can I bribe this guardsmen to look the other way while I smuggle this corpse into my anatomy class?

… Maybe add Deception to the skill list.

 

[Li Shenron]

Well I certainly am missing those backgrounds cut from the playtest: Bounty Hunter, Guide, Guild Thief, Commoner. I am not sure, but I think some are folded into larger categories, but I guess we still lost their special traits. For Commoner it's the opposite, since we still have the special traits, but the Folk Hero update even de-emphasized the professions. I'd rather preferred if they had emphasized them.

I'm having a hard time fleshing out my half elf sorcerer for this exact reason.

Acolyte has a religious tone that doesn't fit with my character.
Charlatan implies that you're a con man
Entertainer seems like a trained monkey
Hermit is too solitary but i like the medicine skill proficiency
Noble seems too generic
Outlander's skill proficiencies don't work for me
Sage seems like the best of the choices while still kind of missing the mark.

I don't know... maybe I'm just being too picky.

Try not to look at the list and re-start from scratch.... Where does your sorcerer live, what does it do for a living in society, how does it earn money to buy food and pay the bills?

 

[GameDoc]

A couple of options for healer backgrounds...

Apothecary
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit, poisoner's kit
Equipment: An herbalism kit, a healer's kit, three empty vials, a letter of introduction from your apothecaries' guild, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Guild Membership (see Guild Artisan)

Suggested Characteristics: as Guild Artisan



Mendicant
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: An herbalism kit, a healer's kit, a holy symbol, a prayer book, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp

Feature: House Call - As a traveling healer, you are generally welcome wherever you go provided your particular faith is accepted in the area. You can expect food and lodging at temples and the homes of nobles or prominent citizens so long as you are gracious, show no outward signs of wealth or prosperity, and offer your services upon request. You can also generally get minor repairs to clothing and gear from artisans for free. Food and lodging may extended to your companions, however repairs will not.

Suggested Characteristics: as Acolyte.

 

[Andor]

Mendicant .

No one calls Groo a mendicant! Groo will do what Groo does best!

*ahem*

I mean cool, I like them.

A lot of playtesters seem to mourn the Bountyhunter, anyone want to share what it does?