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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 9798622" data-attributes="member: 2209">Another thing that annoys me about 24 backgrounds is how much they are framed as DM tools for world building and not PC tools for character building. Even when it talks about meeting a player's concept of their character it is framed as an optional DM thing to do.From the 24 SRD in the DM section:Creating a BackgroundA character’s background represents what the character did prior to becoming an adventurer. Creating a unique background or customizing an existing one can reflect the particular theme of your campaign or elements of your world. You can also create a background to help a player craft the story they have in mind for their character.In 14 the PH backgrounds were explicitly framed as samples and that the players could modify things to match their character concepts.14 PH page 125:"The sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.""CUSTOMIZING A BACKGROUNDYou might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages from the sample backgrounds."I much prefer the 14 model of having robust selection of samples ready to go, but also providing a default of crafting your own or modifying them as a PC to meet your character concept.In my 5e 14 cinematic gothic horror Funeral of Renowned Archaeologist Professor Jones campaign I had the PCs come up with ideas for why they were asked to be pallbearers at the funeral and their connections to the professor or his daughter. The PCs came up with fantastic backgrounds for their characters.The professor's secretary at the university. The professor's butler at his estate.The professor's grave robber assistant on his expeditions.Mentee junior professor of archaeology (modelled on Daniel Jackson in Stargate complete with fringe theory that ancient elven fantasy Egyptian Pharaohs were actually aliens).Rival archaeologist (modeled on Belloq from Indiana Jones)Sometimes partner archaelogist and former on again off again girlfriend (modeled on Elsa from Last Crusade)It was fantastic and flavorful and no work on my part as DM besides providing them the narrative campaign premise.</blockquote>

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