D&D Tomb of Annihilation

AppendixA:CharacterBackgrounds.....................................................................................................................................................

Duringcharactercreation,playerscanselectthefollowing
backgroundsfortheircharacterswithyourapproval.These
backgroundsareappropriateforanycharacterorcampaign
associatedwiththediscoveryandexplorationofexotic
culturesandlostcivilizations.

Anthropologist.........................................................................................................................................................................

Youhavealwaysbeenfascinatedbyothercultures,fromthe
mostancientandprimevallostlandstothemostmodern
civilizations.Bystudyingothercultures’customs,philosophies,
laws,rituals,religiousbeliefs,languages,andart,youhave
learnedhowtribes,empires,andallformsofsocietyin
betweencrafttheirowndestiniesanddoom.Thisknowledge
cametoyounotonlythroughbooksandscrolls,butalso
throughfirst-handobservation—byvisitingfar-flung
settlementsandexploringlocalhistoriesandcustoms.
SkillProficiencies:Insight,Religion
Languages:Twoofyourchoice
Equipment:Aleather-bounddiary,abottleofink,anink
pen,asetoftraveler’sclothes,onetrinketofspecial
significance,andapouchcontaining 10 gp

CulturalChameleon

Beforebecominganadventurer,youspentmuchofyour
adultlifeawayfromyourhomeland,livingamongpeople
differentfromyourkin.Youcametounderstandtheseforeign
culturesandthewaysoftheirpeople,whoeventuallytreated
youasoneoftheirown.Oneculturehadmoreofaninfluence
onyouthananyother,shapingyourbeliefsandcustoms.
Choosearacewhosecultureyou’veadopted,orrollonthe
AdoptedCulturetable.

AdoptedCulture

SuggestedCharacteristics

Anthropologistsleavebehindthesocietiesintowhichthey
wereborntodiscoverwhatlifeislikeinotherpartsofthe
world.Theyseektoseehowotherracesandcivilizations

survive—orwhytheydidnot.Someanthropologistsare

drivenbyintellectualcuriosity,whileotherswantthefame

andrecognitionthatcomeswithbeingthefirsttodiscovera

newpeople,alosttribe,orthetruthaboutanancientempire’s

downfall.

d 6 PersonalityTrait

1 Ipreferthecompanyofthosewhoaren’t

likeme,includingpeopleofotherraces.

2 I’masticklerwhenitcomestoobserving

properetiquetteandlocalcustoms.

3 Iwouldratherobservethanmeddle.

4 Bylivingamongviolentpeople,Ihave

becomedesensitizedtoviolence.

5 Iwouldrisklifeandlimbtodiscovera

newcultureorunravelthesecretsofadead

one.

6 WhenIarriveatanewsettlementforthe

firsttime,Imustlearnallitscustoms.

d 6 Ideal

1 Discovery.Iwanttobethefirstpersonto

discoveralostculture.(Any)

2 Distance.Onemustnotinterferewith

theaffairsofanotherculture—evenonein

needofaid.(Lawful)

3 Knowledge.Byunderstandingotherraces

andcultures,welearntounderstand

ourselves.(Any)

4 Power.Commonpeoplecravestrong

leadership,andIdomyutmosttoprovideit.

(Lawful)

5 Protection.Imustdoeverythingpossible

tosaveasocietyfacingextinction.(Good)

6 Indifferent.Lifeiscruel.What’sthepoint

insavingpeopleifthey’regoingtodie

anyway?(Chaotic)

d 6 Bond

1 Mymentorgavemeajournalfilledwith

loreandwisdom.Losingitwoulddevastate

me.

2 Havinglivedamongthepeopleofa

primevaltribeorclan,Ilongtoreturnand

seehowtheyarefaring.

3 Yearsago,tragedystruckthemembersof

anisolatedsocietyIbefriended,andIwill

honorthem.

4 Iwanttolearnmoreaboutaparticular

humanoidculturethatfascinatesme.

5 Iseektoavengeaclan,tribe,kingdom,

orempirethatwaswipedout.

6 IhaveatrinketthatIbelieveisthekeyto

d 8 Culture

1 Aarakocra

2 Dwarf

3 Elf

4 Goblin

5 Halfling

6 Human

7 Lizardfolk

8 Orc

FEATURE:ADEPTLINGUIST

Youcancommunicatewithhumanoidswhodon’tspeak

anylanguageyouknow.Youmustobservethehumanoids

interactingwithoneanotherforatleast 1 day,afterwhichyou

learnahandfulofimportantwords,expressions,and

gestures—enoughtocommunicateonarudimentarylevel.