Every story has a Beginning. Your character’s Background reveals where you came from, how you became an adventurer, and your place in the world. Your Fighter might have been a courageous knight or a grizzled soldier. Your Wizard could have been a sage or an Artisan. Your rogue might have gotten by as a guild thief or commanded audiences as a jester.
Choosing a Background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your Background is what changed?
Why did you stop doing whatever your Background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear? If you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from Ordinary people who share your background?
The epic ballad sang across the moonlit night. Throughout the land, the party was known as protectors of the realm, but it wasn’t always so.
Before the fighter was nicknamed the Spear of Righteousness, he picked up a pitchfork to fling hay.
The dreaded assassin that struck fear into her enemies was actually the late king’s niece. She abandoned her noble roots and turned to revenge when her uncle banished her family.
The warlock sat in a corner whispering to the possessed sword he had dredged up from the depths while working as a fisherman.
The bard, filled with magics ancient and beyond his own understanding, sang into the night as he reminisced how they all met years ago by chance in a nameless tavern so many years ago.
What are 5e Backgrounds?
Who were the adventurers before they were adventurers?
5e backgrounds are part of character creation that attempts to answer this question. What did your character do before they became an adventurer? There are 13 official DnD backgrounds in the Player’s Handbook, and numerous other official backgrounds have been added in various supplemental rulebooks.
In essence, backgrounds are simply a tool to help players build more interesting characters.
What does my background do?
Backgrounds aren’t just for roleplay or headcanon. They also add some specialized skills and items. These could be skill proficiencies, languages, or special abilities related to their background.
A player that was a criminal before becoming a Rogue would have better skills with sneaking and stealth. A sailor would have some familiarity with seacraft and swimming. Each background offers its own advantages tailored to its previous profession.
In addition, Backgrounds sometimes also add an extra language proficiency and some starting items. A former criminal may have thieves’ tools left over before becoming an adventurer. A noble may still retain some influence in court and is going to have more funds starting out than a street urchin.
Of course, you customize your background or make up your own with the help of your DM, but it’s a great jumping-off point to help bring your character to life.
5e Backgrounds: Proficiencies
Each 5e Background gives a character Proficiency in two Skills. Read more about Ability Scores.
In addition, most Backgrounds give a character Proficiency with one or more tools.
If a character would gain the same Proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different Proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead.
5e Backgrounds: Languages
Some Backgrounds also allow Characters to learn additional Languages beyond those given by race.
5e Backgrounds: Equipment
Each Background provides a package of starting Equipment. If you use the optional rule to spend coin on gear, you do not receive the starting Equipment from your Background.
Suggested Characteristics
A Background contains suggested personal Characteristics based on your Background. You can pick Characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly or use the suggestions as Inspiration for Characteristics of your own creation.
Background Options
There were once only 13 backgrounds available to players, but that number has since grown with the various supplemental books. First, we’re going to look at the standard options that can all be found in the Player’s Handbook starting on page 125.
Player’s Handbook
| Name | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Acolyte | Shelter of the Faithful | Insight, Religion |
| Charlatan | False Identity | Deception, Sleight of Hand |
| Criminal | Criminal Contact | Deception, Stealth |
| Entertainer | By Popular Demand | Acrobatics, Performance |
| Folk Hero | Rustic Hospitality | Animal Handling, Survival |
| Guild Artisan | Guild Membership | Insight, Persuasion |
| Hermit | Discovery | Medicine, Religion |
| Noble | Position of Privilege | History, Persuasion |
| Outlander | Wanderer | Athletics, Survival |
| Sage | Researcher | Choose 2 from: Arcana, History, Nature, Religion |
| Sailor | Ship’s Passage | Athletics, Perception |
| Soldier | Military Rank | Athletics, Intimidation |
| Urchin | City Secrets | Sleight of Hand, Stealth |
Acolyte
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
Languages: Any two of your choice
Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Shelter of the Faithful
Acolytes are priests, priestesses, or followers of a particular church, order, or religion. These characters start as members of a church before the call to adventure sends them out into the world.
They could be representatives of their religious organizations, tasked as holy messengers to spread their influence, or they could be runaways from their religious order. Whatever backstory you decide to choose, Acolytes are well-trained and familiar with the teachings and rituals of their chosen order.
The Acolyte’s Shelter of the Faithful ability is a useful background ability that lets the character gain access to their religious order’s supply network. This could be in the form of healing at shrines, or havens where they can rest. It only extends towards the acolyte and not the rest of the party, so it’s best used as a last-minute offer of sanctuary.
Charlatan
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, Forgery kit
Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 GP.
Feature: False Identity
The Charlatans are con artists and tricksters who are adept at deceiving others for personal gain. They are skilled in Deception and Sleight of Hand and proficient in disguise and forgery tools. They come equipped with tools of the con of their choice, such as marked cards or stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid. It’s not an honest living, but their trickery keeps them fed… most of the time.
Their False Identity feature lets the Charlatan create a persona they can use to hide in plain sight. This includes forged documents that, for all intents and purposes, turn them into an entirely other person. Only those who are familiar with forgeries or their real persona will be able to identify the Charalatan.
Criminal
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, Thieves’ Tools
Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Criminal Contact
Crime doesn’t pay. That’s probably why your character switched over to adventuring.
The Criminal background represents someone who has lived outside the law and has a knack for nefarious activities. Many criminals find themselves going into adventuring work but for various reasons.
They could be looking for a quick payday.
Maybe they’re trying to escape a life of crime and go legitimate.
They could get wrapped up in events by fate during a heist.
However they find themselves in an adventuring party, criminals are adept at deception and stealth. In addition, their life of crime has given them criminal contacts that they can seek out to gather information and possibly utilize illegal services. This background is a good choice for characters who want to add a bit of an edge to their backstory, who want a more morally ambiguous view of the world or who are looking for a redemption story.
Entertainer
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
Tools: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), costume clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.
Feature: Entertainer’s Routine
As an entertainer, you are well-known for your performances and can easily attract an audience. You can always find a place to perform, usually in a tavern, inn, or other public venue, and you can earn enough money to support a modest lifestyle in the town where you perform. Additionally, your performance might earn you free food, drink, or lodging.
The obvious choice for the Entertainer background is to create a Bard character. They work well together thematically, but it can feel a little redundant. It’s like saying, “My character is a musician that used to be a musician.”
For some more creative inspiration, here are a few ideas on character creation. You don’t always have to be a Bard to choose the Entertainer Background.
A singer at an inn witnessed an invasion and picked up a sword in defense. After juggling in the crowd on a suspension wire, they were approached by recruiting Rogues.
While hired as the entertainment for a caravan, the Entertainer was captured by Barbarians and eventually learned their ways and admiration for their captors.
The Entertainer’s Routine background feature allows the character to learn 3 different entertainment specialties such as tumbling, fire eating, poetry, singing, etc. This can then be used to spruce up their entertainer skills during the game. It doesn’t actually do anything other than add a thematic element, but it’s a cool idea.
Folk Hero
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
Languages: Any
Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gold pieces.
Feature: Rustic Hospitality
Folk Hero is an interesting background choice. These are characters that are already well-known by a particular group or in an area. They could be known for their words or actions. Some good examples of folk heroes (both real and fictional) are Wyatt Earp, Ip Man, Robin Hood, and Zorro.
Before adventuring in your DnD campaign, these characters were… adventuring. Just on a much smaller scale.
These characters are celebrated in their home village for their heroic deeds, such as saving someone from danger or standing up to an oppressor. As such their special feature, Rustic Hospitality, lets you find refuge among the common folk.
If you’re hiding from the watch, chances are someone in town knows you and will hide you. Wander up to a farm during a rainstorm and you’ll likely find a warm fire to greet the Folk Hero and their companions. However, if you fail to live up to your reputation, you may find that hospitality dries up quickly.
Guild Artisan
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gold pieces.
Feature: Guild Membership
Before setting out for riches and glory, Guild Artisans were craftsmen or traders. They know the ins and outs of their profession, and that can help in dealing with others in your DnD world.
Guild Artisans aren’t starry-eyed farmboys, they may have traveled a bit, know how the world works, and won’t let someone get the better of them in a negotiation.
Some possible options for a Guild Artisan background could be a blacksmith that was drafted by a local lord or a trader whose caravan was destroyed.
The Guild Membership feature grants access to the guild hall of their previous life. Here they can receive free food and lodging, and interact with their guild members for information and possible employment.
Hermit
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, 5gp
Feature: Discovery
Hermits have spent a considerable time alone contemplating life’s mysteries. They usually seclude themselves from the world and spend their time in quiet seclusion. Often it’s the discovery or enlightenment that ends their time as a hermit.
The Discovery feature grants the character some kind of hidden or forgotten knowledge. It could be something profound and world-shattering about the gods, a hidden temple or location, or even a relic. Whatever they find, it’s best to work with your DM so that they can weave it into your campaign. This discovery is usually what leads the Hermit to break their seclusion and become an adventurer.
Some possible Hermit Background stories are a secluded monk who begins hearing voices revealing the location of a hidden temple, a loner who avoids society and stumbles upon a scroll that is indestructible but illegible, or a hermit that begins receiving visions from a deity.
Noble
Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion
Languages: One language of your choice
Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gold pieces
Feature: Position of Privilege
Noble’s are in the upper echelon of any DnD world. Because of their station and status, most commoners will think the best of you or will hate you. The Position of Privilege feature makes it so that commoners attempt to appease and do your bidding if they are able. In addition, they can usually be granted audiences with other nobles with relative ease.
The Noble background represents someone who was born into a wealthy and influential family, with many connections and advantages in society. This background can be used to create characters who are haughty and entitled or those who are humble and use their position to help others. As a Noble, you may have access to resources and people that can aid you in your quests, but you may also be burdened with familial obligations and expectations.
Outlander
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Wanderer
Outlanders live on the fringe of society. These are typically scouts, homesteaders, nomads, bounty hunters, or anyone else that typically lives outside of the cities and villages.
The Wanderer Feature grants them familiarity with maps and topography. In addition, Wanderers are adept at living off the land and can usually forage for food and water if it’s available in the region.
Some possible Wanderer Background stories include a scout who was hired to escort a group of explorers, a nomadic tribe member, or a homesteader who lived far away from civilization that now wants to see more of the world. The Outlander Background fits extremely well with the Ranger class and can easily be integrated thematically.
Sage
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Researcher
Sages typically come from some academic field. They are Wizard apprentices, scholars, librarians, alchemists, mad scientists, or astronomers. They can even be disgraced versions where they are no longer welcome or respected in their chosen field.
The Researcher Feature lets the character recall a piece of lore or information. If it’s particularly rare they can instead recall where the information is hidden or how to obtain it. This can be used by the DM to set off long and elaborate questlines as well. It doesn’t simply allow them to have knowledge of whatever they want but allows them to know where to find it.
Some fun Sage Background stories are a Wizard apprentice who finally is granted enough knowledge to go out on their own, a disgraced scholar whose theories have been completely disproven, or a librarian who wants to see the world outside of their books.
Sailor
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or small stone idol, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: Ship’s Passage
Sailors are world travelers. They’ve spent considerable time out to see before becoming adventurers. The Background feature grants contact in the nautical world. The sailor can easily gain passage at any port by calling in favors or meeting up with old friends. The passage is typically free, but the party is expected to pull their weight while aboard.
Sailors have many different reasons for leaving the decks of their ships and seeking an adventuring life. Some example back stories are simply leaving for money after their contract is up, searching for rumors of hidden pirate treasure, or they could be just looking for more adventure after having mastered the seas.
Soldier
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation
Equipment: A uniform of your unit, a trophy from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: Military Rank
Before leading a life of an adventurer these characters were part of the military. They could be rank-and-file soldiers, officers, or some other specialty like cavalry, scout, quartermaster, or camp cook.
The Military Rank feature grants these characters influence and knowledge of the military system in your DnD world. If they were an officer they may find that soldiers encountered may remember them or they could even run into old comrades of arms. This allows them to gather information and maybe requisition small amounts of supplies from their former allies. For militaries outside of their influence, their experience could allow them to bluff their way through with their knowledge of military protocol.
There are a lot of options and ideas for a former soldier character in DnD. They could be a veteran of numerous wars trying to get a fresh start, a deserter who didn’t want to die in the first charge or a veteran who served their time honorably and wanted to see the world.
A grizzled veteran of many battles, looking to put his past behind him and make a fresh start.
A soldier who lost his faith in the cause he was fighting for and is now seeking a new purpose.
A young recruit who has recently left the military and is looking for a way to make a name for himself in the world.
Urchin
Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, thieves’ tools
Equipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up in, a pet mouse, a token to remember your parents by, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
Feature: City Secrets
Not all Backgrounds are glamorous. Urchins live on the streets. They have nobody to watch their back and trust few people. Few people know of their existence and even less care. These characters have lived hard lives and are often thrown into adventures as a way to improve their situation, through luck, or are simply forced into it from lack of options.
Cities are sometimes described as living breathing things. The City Secrets Feature allows the Urchin to feel that life. When traveling alone they can move through cities twice as fast as other characters and they can find their way through shortcuts and hidden alleyways with ease.
Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a 5e 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.
You can either use the Equipment package from your Background or spend currency on gear. (If you spend the coin, you can’t also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two Personality Traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired Background, work with your GM to create one.
Acquisitions Incorporated Backgrounds
| Name | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrity Adventurer’s Scion | Name Dropping | Perception, Performance |
| Failed Merchant | Supply Chain | Investigation, Persuasion |
| Gambler | Never Tell Me the Odds | Deception, Insight |
| Plaintiff | Legalese | Medicine, Persuasion |
| Rival Intern | Inside Informant | History, Investigation |
Baldur’s Gate Descent – Descent into Avernus Backgrounds
| Name | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Faceless | Faceless Persona | Deception, Intimidation |
Curse of Strahd Backgrounds
| Background | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Haunted One | Harrowing Event | Choose two of Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival |
Eberron: Rising from the Last War Backgrounds
Technically, Eberron only adds one Background called House Agent. Each house however has different skills and abilities. So although there’s only one official new Background, actually 14 are added.
| House | Feature | House Tool Proficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| Cannith | House Connection | Alchemist’s supplies and tinker’s tools |
| Deneith | House Connection | One gaming set and vehicles (land) |
| Ghallanda | House Connection | Brewer’s supplies and cook’s utensils |
| Jorasco | House Connection | Alchemist’s supplies and herbalism kit |
| Kundarak | House Connection | Thieves’ tools and tinker’s tools |
| Lyrandar | House Connection | Navigator’s tools and vehicles (air and sea) |
| Medani | House Connection | Disguise kit and thieves’ tools |
| Orien | House Connection | One gaming set and vehicles (land) |
| Phiarlan | House Connection | Disguise kit and one musical instrument |
| Sivis | House Connection | Calligrapher’s tools and forgery kit |
| Tharashk | House Connection | One gaming set and thieves’ tools |
| Thuranni | House Connection | One musical instrument and poisoner’s kit |
| Vadalis | House Connection | Herbalism kit and vehicles (land) |
Ghosts of Saltmarsh Backgrounds
| Background | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher | Harvest the Water, Fishing Tale | History, Survival |
| Marine | Hardship Endured, Steady | Athletics, Survival |
| Shipwright | I’ll patch it!, Life at Sea | History, Perception |
| Smuggler | Down Low, Claim to Fame | Athletics, Deception |
Mythic Odysseys of Theros Backgrounds
| Background | Feature | Skill Proficiencies |
|---|---|---|
| Athlete | Echoes of Victory | Acrobatics, Athletics |
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica Backgrounds
| Background | Feature | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Azorius Functionary | Legal Authority | Insight, Intimidation |
| Boros Legionnaire | Legion Station | Athletics, Intimidation |
| Dimir Operative | False Identity | Deception, Stealth |
| Golgari Agent | Undercity Paths | Nature, Survival |
| Gruul Anarch | Rubblebelt Refuge | Animal Handling, Athletics |
| Izzet Engineer | Urban Infrastructure | Arcana, Investigation |
| Orzhov Representative | Leverage | Intimidation, Religion |
| Rakdos Cultist | A Flair for the Dramatic | Acrobatics, Performance |
| Selesnya Initiate | Conclave’s Shelter | Nature, Persuasion |
| Simic Scientist | Clades and Projects | Arcana, Medicine |
Before starting GameCows with his wife Kendra, he used to teach English Language Arts in the US. He combined his love of gaming with education to create fun game-based learning lessons until he eventually decided to run GameCows with Kendra full-time. He’s known for pouring over rulebooks in his spare time, being the rule master during game night, and as the perma DM in his DnD group. Bryan loves board games, writing, traveling, and above all his wife and partner in crime, Kendra.