CHAPTER 5: BACKGROUNDS
H E BACK GROUNDS DESCRIBE D JN TH E
Player's Handbook a r e all found in
Faerfin's various socie ties, in som e
form or a nother. Thi s chapte r offe r s
a dditional backgrounds for c ha racter s in
a Forgotte n Realms campa ign , m a ny of
the m s pecific to Faerfin o r t o the Sword
Coast and t he North in partic ular.
As in th e Player's Handbook , each of the backgrounds
presented here provides proficiencies, la nguages, a nd
equipme nt, as well as a background feature and some-
times a variant form. For personality tra its, ideals ,
bonds, a nd flaw s, most of the backgrounds in this chap-
ter use a the m atically similar background in the Player's
Handbook as thei r foundation.City Watch
You have serve d the com munity where you grew up,
s ta nding as its firs t line of defense against cri me. You
a re n't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible
ene mies. Ins tead, your ser vice to your hom etown was
to help police its popul ace, protecting the citizenry from
lawbreakers and m alefactors of every stripe.
You might have been part of the City Watch of Water-
deep, the baton-wielding police force of th e City of Splen-
dors, protecting the common folk from thieves and rowdy
nobility alike. Or you might have been one of the valia nt
defenders of Silverymoon, a member of the Silverwatch or
even one of the magic-wielding Spellguard.
P erhaps you hail from Never winter a nd have served
as one of its Winte rs hi eld watchme n, the newly founded
branch of gua rds who vow to keep safe the City of
S killed Ha nds.
Even if you're not city-born or city-bred, this back-
ground can describe your earl y years as a membe r of
law enforcement. Most settlements of a ny size have
the ir own constables a nd police forces, a nd even s maller
communities have sheriffs and bai liffs who sta nd ready
to protect th e ir community.Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit a nd
indicative of your rank, a horn w ith which to sum mon
help, a set of manacles, and a pouch containing 10 gp
FEATURE: WATCHER' S EYE
Your experience in enforci ng th e law, and dealing with
lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws a nd crimi-
na ls. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch
or a simila r organi zati on , and jus t as easily pick out
the dens of crim ina l activity in a community, a lthough
you're more likely to be welc ome in the former locations
rath er th a n the latter.
VARIANT: INVESTIGATOR
Ra rer than watch or patrol members are a community's
investigators, who a r e respons ible for solvin g crimes
after the fact. T hough s uch folk a re seld om found in
rural areas, nearly every settlement of decent s ize has
a t l ea s t one or two wa tch member s who have the skill to
investi gate crime scenes and track down crimina ls. If
your prior experience is as a n investi gator, you have pro-
ficie ncy in Investi gation rather than Athletics.SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Use the tables for the soldier background in th e Player 's
Handbook as the basis for your traits and motivations,
modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your
ide ntity as a m ember of the ci ty watch.
Your bond is likely associated w ith you r fellow watch
m ember s or the watch orga ni zation itself a nd a lmost
certa inly concerns your community. Your ideal probably
involves the fos tering of peace a nd safety. An investi-
gator i s likely to have a n ideal connected to achiev in g
justice by successfully s olving crimes.CLAN CRAFTER
The Stout Fol k a re well known for their artisans hip
a nd th e worth of their ha ndiworks, a nd you have been
tra ined in that a ncient traditio n. For year s you labored
under a dwarf master of the craft, enduring long hours.
and dis missive, sour-temper ed treatme nt in order to
gain the fine skills you possess today.
You are most likely a dwarf, but not necessarily-par-
ticul a rly in the North, the shield dwarf clans learned
long a go that only proud fools who a re more concerne d
for their egos than th eir cr aft turn away prom ising
appre ntices, even those of other races. If you a r en't a
dwarf, however, you have ta ken a solemn oath never
to take on a n appre ntice in the craft: it is not for non-
dwarves to pass on the skills of Moradin's favored
childre n. You would have no difficulty, however, finding
a dwarf maste r who was willing to receive potentia l ap-
prentices who came with your recommendation.
Skill Proficiencies: His tory, Ins ight
Tool Proficiencies: One type of a rtisan's tools
Languages: Dwarvis h or one other of your choice if you
a lready speak Dwa r vish
Equipment: A set of a rtisan's tools with which you are
proficient , a ma ker 's mark chisel used to mark your
handiwork with the symbol of the cla n of crafters you
learne d your s kill fr om , a set of trave ler 's clothes, a nd
a pouch conta ining 5 gp a nd a gem worth 10 gpFEATURE: RESPECT OF THE STOUT FOLK
As well respected as cla n cra fte rs are among outs id ers,
no one esteem s them quite so highly as dwa rves do. You
a lways have free room and board in any place where
s hield dwarves or gold dwarves dwell, and the individu-
a ls in s uch a settleme nt might vie among the mselves to
determine who can offer you (and possibly your compa-
triots) the finest accommodations and assista nce.SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Use the tables for the guild artisan background in th e
Player's Handbook a s the basis for your traits and moti-
vations, modifyin g the entries when appropriate to suitCHAPTER 5 I BACKGROUNDS
~~~--""!!Iii'!! ..... ~ ... -------------------------