Arthegon
First Post
Greetings all, first post on the site.
Here's a new background that I created to support a 5E character class I'm working on tentatively called "Barfly." I didn't feel that any of the existing backgrounds captured what I wanted for the "Quick Start" section of the barfly class description. A pdf is attached if you like it. Thanks for checking it out!
LIBERTINE
You are a free spirit, doing as you will in the moment whenever possible. Your basic philosophy is to experience as much of what life has to offer without regard for convention or conformity. Realizing that real criminal activity could end up ultimately restricting your freedom in unpleasant ways, you merely skirt the law, testing the limits of society's boundaries in your lust for life. You probably feel most at ease in taverns, houses of ill repute, and at all manner of celebrations, be they rustic peasant festivals or the lavish soirees of sybaritic nobles.
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: Any one of Artisan's Tools, Gaming Set, or Musical Instrument
Languages: Any one of your choice
Equipment: A finely wrought tankard, a small trinket or memento of your former life, a tool or set of tools that matches your proficiency choice, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
A CHECKERED PAST
Most libertines didn't start out with the attitudes they hold. Was there an event or circumstance that caused you to forsake your prosaic life and embark on a path of sensation and indulgence? You can work with your DM to determine exactly what happened in your past, choose an option from the table below, or simply roll randomly.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Checkered Past
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I was orphaned on the cusp of adulthood and suddenly had to fend for myself.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I was jilted by my first true love.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I became suddenly ill and almost died. After that, I decided to live for the moment.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I was falsely arrested and spent several years in prison. Now I have no faith in the status quo.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I come from a noble family that disowned me when I refused to go through with an arranged marriage.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]Actually, I've always been a thrill seeker and a rebel, there was no dramatic incident that changed me.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
FEATURE: SYCOPHANTIC SYMBIOSIS
You have a wealthy friend or patron who finds you engaging. Even though you may not find them equally so, you have cultivated them to be a reliable source of emergency funds when you are down on your luck, loans within reason, and possibly interesting facts or rumors. If you move to a different location, you can find and cultivate another such resource within a few days, possibly through a referral from the current one. The wealth of your benefactor is typically proportional to the size of the city or town in which you are located.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Libertines are defined by their love of sensation, their cultivated tastes, and their rebellious attitudes towards authority. They are often prone to take risks, deliberately or otherwise. They are frequently expansive and outgoing, but may also have a more dreamy and contemplative side, perhaps only shared with those they consider their equals in matters of aesthetics. In any case, others often envy them their carefree ways without realizing the price sometimes paid – a life lived ultimately in solitude despite no lack of friends.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]d8[/TD] [TD]Personality Trait[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I'm the life of the party. When I enter one of my haunts every head turns.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]Although not a criminal myself, I freely associate with them and understand their ways.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I'm prone to romantic dalliances. Sometimes hearts get broken, but never mine.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I have eccentric tastes in one or more of food, drink, fashion, and music.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I especially seek out the company of races other than my own to broaden my experience.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]I sometimes tire of the constant excitement in my life and just want to be alone in a quiet place.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]7[/TD] [TD]I rarely talk about my real past. Instead I've concocted a cover story to ingratiate myself with others.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]8[/TD] [TD]I like to dress well and don't like getting dirty.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Ideal
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]Camaraderie. You should help your friends through good and bad times no matter what it takes. (Good)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]Indulgence. You only live once, so make sure you don't regret having missed out on your desire. (Chaotic)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]Nonconformity. Don't bow to churches and rulers, they only exist to take advantage of you. (Neutral)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]Hypocrisy. Always follow the letter of the law to stay out of trouble, but don't be afraid to turn it to your advantage if you can get away with it. (Lawful)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]5[/TD] [TD]Fellowship. For many folk, the world is marred by pain and sorrow. The best way to help them is to distract them with merriment. (Good)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]6[/TD] [TD]Selfishness. My pleasure comes first and if it causes others pain, so be it. (Evil)[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Bond
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I can't be truly happy until the person who disillusioned me is sorry for what they've done.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I've got to find a way to get rich so I'll never have to worry about money to support my lifestyle again.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I know that I will one day wield great power if I stay true to my own destiny.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I'd do anything for my role model who showed me why being an epicurean is the best way to live.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]Even though my family disapproves of my lifestyle, I still love them dearly and wouldn't hesitate to help them if they were in trouble.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]I'm willing to search the planes of existence for the perfect tankard of ale.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Flaw
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]Sometimes my self-centered ways hurt people that I care about.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I've been known to go into debt to support my hedonistic lifestyle.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I have a hot temper and am easily provoked to do or say something I might regret.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]Sometimes I get drunk and fall down and hurt myself, or wake up with my money stolen.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I'm prone to making large bets on outrageous or even dangerous stunts and contests.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]When I'm bored, especially by stodgy officials, sanctimonious priests, or droning bureaucrats, I may get myself in trouble by acting inappropriately.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Here's a new background that I created to support a 5E character class I'm working on tentatively called "Barfly." I didn't feel that any of the existing backgrounds captured what I wanted for the "Quick Start" section of the barfly class description. A pdf is attached if you like it. Thanks for checking it out!
LIBERTINE
You are a free spirit, doing as you will in the moment whenever possible. Your basic philosophy is to experience as much of what life has to offer without regard for convention or conformity. Realizing that real criminal activity could end up ultimately restricting your freedom in unpleasant ways, you merely skirt the law, testing the limits of society's boundaries in your lust for life. You probably feel most at ease in taverns, houses of ill repute, and at all manner of celebrations, be they rustic peasant festivals or the lavish soirees of sybaritic nobles.
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: Any one of Artisan's Tools, Gaming Set, or Musical Instrument
Languages: Any one of your choice
Equipment: A finely wrought tankard, a small trinket or memento of your former life, a tool or set of tools that matches your proficiency choice, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
A CHECKERED PAST
Most libertines didn't start out with the attitudes they hold. Was there an event or circumstance that caused you to forsake your prosaic life and embark on a path of sensation and indulgence? You can work with your DM to determine exactly what happened in your past, choose an option from the table below, or simply roll randomly.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Checkered Past
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I was orphaned on the cusp of adulthood and suddenly had to fend for myself.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I was jilted by my first true love.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I became suddenly ill and almost died. After that, I decided to live for the moment.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I was falsely arrested and spent several years in prison. Now I have no faith in the status quo.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I come from a noble family that disowned me when I refused to go through with an arranged marriage.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]Actually, I've always been a thrill seeker and a rebel, there was no dramatic incident that changed me.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
FEATURE: SYCOPHANTIC SYMBIOSIS
You have a wealthy friend or patron who finds you engaging. Even though you may not find them equally so, you have cultivated them to be a reliable source of emergency funds when you are down on your luck, loans within reason, and possibly interesting facts or rumors. If you move to a different location, you can find and cultivate another such resource within a few days, possibly through a referral from the current one. The wealth of your benefactor is typically proportional to the size of the city or town in which you are located.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Libertines are defined by their love of sensation, their cultivated tastes, and their rebellious attitudes towards authority. They are often prone to take risks, deliberately or otherwise. They are frequently expansive and outgoing, but may also have a more dreamy and contemplative side, perhaps only shared with those they consider their equals in matters of aesthetics. In any case, others often envy them their carefree ways without realizing the price sometimes paid – a life lived ultimately in solitude despite no lack of friends.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]d8[/TD] [TD]Personality Trait[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I'm the life of the party. When I enter one of my haunts every head turns.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]Although not a criminal myself, I freely associate with them and understand their ways.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I'm prone to romantic dalliances. Sometimes hearts get broken, but never mine.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I have eccentric tastes in one or more of food, drink, fashion, and music.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I especially seek out the company of races other than my own to broaden my experience.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]I sometimes tire of the constant excitement in my life and just want to be alone in a quiet place.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]7[/TD] [TD]I rarely talk about my real past. Instead I've concocted a cover story to ingratiate myself with others.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]8[/TD] [TD]I like to dress well and don't like getting dirty.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Ideal
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]Camaraderie. You should help your friends through good and bad times no matter what it takes. (Good)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]Indulgence. You only live once, so make sure you don't regret having missed out on your desire. (Chaotic)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]Nonconformity. Don't bow to churches and rulers, they only exist to take advantage of you. (Neutral)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]Hypocrisy. Always follow the letter of the law to stay out of trouble, but don't be afraid to turn it to your advantage if you can get away with it. (Lawful)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]5[/TD] [TD]Fellowship. For many folk, the world is marred by pain and sorrow. The best way to help them is to distract them with merriment. (Good)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]6[/TD] [TD]Selfishness. My pleasure comes first and if it causes others pain, so be it. (Evil)[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Bond
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]I can't be truly happy until the person who disillusioned me is sorry for what they've done.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I've got to find a way to get rich so I'll never have to worry about money to support my lifestyle again.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I know that I will one day wield great power if I stay true to my own destiny.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]I'd do anything for my role model who showed me why being an epicurean is the best way to live.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]Even though my family disapproves of my lifestyle, I still love them dearly and wouldn't hesitate to help them if they were in trouble.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]I'm willing to search the planes of existence for the perfect tankard of ale.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: left"] [TR] [TD]d6
[/TD] [TD]Flaw
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]1[/TD] [TD]Sometimes my self-centered ways hurt people that I care about.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [TD]I've been known to go into debt to support my hedonistic lifestyle.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD]I have a hot temper and am easily provoked to do or say something I might regret.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]4[/TD] [TD]Sometimes I get drunk and fall down and hurt myself, or wake up with my money stolen.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD]I'm prone to making large bets on outrageous or even dangerous stunts and contests.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]6[/TD] [TD]When I'm bored, especially by stodgy officials, sanctimonious priests, or droning bureaucrats, I may get myself in trouble by acting inappropriately.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
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