Background and Skills (Variant Rule)

In addition to a character race and class, each character has a background which defines their secondary rules-set. This background should be determined randomly, though the soft-hearted GM might allow a player to choose his background or to allow an heir to a previously deceased character to share his predecessor’s background.

The suggested skills for each background are just that—suggestions. A player who can come up with a good (emphasis on “good”) rationale why his background should provide an advantage in a given situation should be allowed to make use of it. At the same time, it is understood that for the most part, characters did not rise above apprentice or journeyman level in their former professions, having long ago left their old, safe lives to take up the call of the adventurer.

How a given profession turned into an adventuring career is a matter for individual players and DMs to work out. A magician from a barbarian background may have left his people as a child to apprentice with a great mage, or may be a kind of shaman for his people. A rogue with the household servant background may have left after robbing his former master, or might have been a spy in some noble’s employ. A wizard from a soldier’s background may have spent many years as a common mercenary before a chance magical encounter made him aware of his abilities, causing him to abandon sword and steel for the more subtle Arts.

It should be noted that in general any character should be able to attempt to undertake any action; having a background in a particular area grants a modest bonus only. (This same philosophy underlies my revision of the thief class as well, as will be shown later.) There is one exception to this rule: Only a character with a background in crafting can hope to create quality, salable items, let alone items of sufficient quality to enchant as magic items.

d100		Background	Skills/Bonuses
01-05		Barbarian	Survival in home terrain, perception, +2 to saves vs. Endurance
06-10		Hunter/Trapper	Survival in home terrain, set small traps, stealth
11-15		Herder	Animal handling and husbandry, survival in home terrain
16-25		Farmer	Agriculture, animal husbandry, foraging
26-27		Herbman/Healer	Healing, creating minor poultices that can grant add’l saves vs. poison or disease or heal 1d3 hp (cost 1d3 days gathering herbs or 50 gp per poultice)
28-34		Menial worker/Slave	Gains +1 to Str and Con
35-36		Household servant	Bargaining, cooking, mending, social checks with aristocracy, some appraisal
37-45		Craftsman	Ability to make quality items and appraise within craft, can make a living of Skill + Wis mod gp a week
	01-07	Tanner/Leatherworker
	08-14	Cook/Baker
	15-21	Smith
	22-28	Mason/Carpenter
	29-35	Tailor/Weaver/Bootmaker
	36-42	Bowyer/Fletcher
	43-49	Woodworker
	50-56	Jeweler
	57-63	Armorer
	64-70	Dyer
	71-77	Brewer/Winemaker
	78-84	Chandler	Make candles, torches, soap, lye, etc.
	85-91	Locksmith	Disable small mechanical traps and pick locks, +1 bonus to die if rogue
	92-00	Other
46-47		Alchemist	Ability to make magical potions, ingredients and costs of individual potions up to DM, can identify potions without sampling on roll of 6 or better.
48-51		Miner	Knowledge of underground and ores, detect slopes as a dwarf
52-55		Sailor	Handling and maintenance of medium to large sea vessels
56-57		Navigator	Navigation by the stars, some sailing skill
58-61		Fisher	Handling and mending small boats, fishing, creating nets
62-64		Sage	+1 Int, Knowledge in 1d3 subjects
65-68		Innkeeper/staff	Special skill in picking up rumors (gets twice as many rumors as other PCs), cooking, appraise drinks
69-71		Beggar/Harlot	Sense motive, disguise OR seduction
72-74		Gambler	Gambling, bluffing and sensing bluffing
75-77		Swindler	Engaging in bluffs and cons, sizing up marks
78-80		Mountebank/Gypsy	Ability to use magical items not normally allowed by class (20% malfunction), fortunetelling, minor potions
81-83		Smuggler	Appraise items, social checks when offering bribe
84-87		Minstrel	Entertain, sing, and play 1d3 instruments
88-91		Merchant	Appraise items, bargain, knowledge of routes and resources in home area
92-93		Cleric	Knowledge of a particular religion, its hierarchy and membership, sanctuary if in good standing
94-95		Astrologer/Fortune Teller	Read omens indicating whether action will have good or bad result, need to roll a 6 or better on the skill die to read successfully, a 1 gives opposite indication.
96		Official/Nobleman (60%/40%)	Knowledge of the hierarchy and legal structure of a realm, social checks with other officials/nobles.
97-99		Soldier/Mercenary
	01-20	Cavalry	Riding, care of horses, proficiency with lance and longsword, +1 to hit on horseback
	21-85	Infantry	+2 to saves vs. forced march, automatic proficiency in spear and shortsword, +1 to hit when setting spear if a warrior
	86-00	Archer	Automatic proficiency with bow or crossbow, making and fletching arrows, +1 to hit with missile weapons if warrior or rogue
00		Player choice

Note the distinction between a background and the skills that come out of it. “Smuggler” is a background; “appraise” is a skill common to smugglers. This becomes an important distinction as characters learn new skills--one has a background, but one can learn new skills.