Backgrounds

Backgrounds are what your character did before they became an adventurer, or what they do while not adventuring. A background is a profession, trade, role, or field of training that describes what your character knows how to do.

When Attribute Tests come up, your background is one way to determine your character’s participation eligibility. Chapter 7 contains additional information on Attribute Tests.

Your selected background should only influence what kinds of things your character is or was good at. Backgrounds are not set in stone, but rather a short description of how you lived before you started to adventure. If a background you want is not in the example list below, make sure the GM knows what it is.

Few backgrounds should be tied to your ancestry, although they do exist. For example, elves of Cerrix would never allow a member of another ancestry to be a Tree Keeper, elves who maintain the large “Home Trees” that elves make their homes in.

Often, a list of backgrounds can be found in the campaign guide if you are playing in one. However, you should be able to take any medieval type of profession and call it a background. You should work with your GM in understanding what kinds of backgrounds are allowed.

A background should never allow a character to be eligible for all skill tests. The goal is for characters to all have something to contribute to an adventure, but never overtake other characters in specialized fields.

Applying a Background to Attribute Tests

Some attribute tests that a GM call may require that your character has specialized knowledge or training. When these situations come up, a GM may call upon a character’s ancestry, background, or class to determine a character’s participation eligibility.

Backgrounds round out your character, allowing for classes to participate in Attribute Tests that they might not otherwise be able to. For example, a character with a class of fighter does not have any specialized training in the identification of religious symbols. However, a character with a background of acolyte, regardless of class, does.

Example Backgrounds

Background	Eligibility examples
Animal Handler	Fully Eligible: calm or train a domestic animal. Partially Eligible: read tracks or signs of an animal’s distress. Ineligible: treat a serious wound.
Apiarist	Fully Eligible: handle a hive or identify honey quality. Partially Eligible: locate a wild hive. Ineligible: brew a complex poison.
Armorer	Fully Eligible: fit or assess armor. Partially Eligible: repair a damaged shield. Ineligible: forge a delicate lock mechanism.
Baker	Fully Eligible: prepare bread or judge flour quality. Partially Eligible: manage a communal oven. Ineligible: identify an unfamiliar medicinal herb.
Basket Weaver	Fully Eligible: weave or repair a basket. Partially Eligible: improvise a simple wicker screen. Ineligible: build a load-bearing bridge.
Bell Ringer	Fully Eligible: operate a bell system or recognize its signals. Partially Eligible: judge the reach of a sound across a town. Ineligible: repair clockwork.
Blacksmith	Fully Eligible: forge or assess common ironwork. Partially Eligible: shoe a horse. Ineligible: decipher an arcane inscription.
Boatman	Fully Eligible: steer a river craft or read a current. Partially Eligible: judge a ford’s danger. Ineligible: navigate by stars on open sea.
Bowyer	Fully Eligible: make or assess a bow and arrows. Partially Eligible: carve a simple decorative object from wood. Ineligible: track a quarry.
Brewer	Fully Eligible: brew ale or recognize a spoiled batch. Partially Eligible: ferment preserved food. Ineligible: distill an alchemical solvent.
Butcher	Fully Eligible: dress an animal or judge meat quality. Partially Eligible: preserve meat for travel. Ineligible: perform surgery.
Carpenter	Fully Eligible: build or repair wooden structures. Partially Eligible: judge whether a decorative wood carving is well made. Ineligible: appraise a gemstone.
Firewood Seller	Fully Eligible: select, season, and price firewood. Partially Eligible: estimate how long a fuel supply will last. Ineligible: identify rare timber.
Fisher	Fully Eligible: catch fish or read a fishing spot. Partially Eligible: mend simple fishing gear. Ineligible: sail a vessel through a storm.
Fishmonger	Fully Eligible: judge, store, and sell fish. Partially Eligible: mend simple fishing gear. Ineligible: catch fish using specialized tackle.
Fletcher	Fully Eligible: make or assess arrows. Partially Eligible: repair a simple bowstring. Ineligible: construct a crossbow mechanism.
Flock Tender	Fully Eligible: manage a flock and recognize common sickness. Partially Eligible: find safe grazing ground. Ineligible: treat a person with disease.
Flour Merchant	Fully Eligible: value flour and negotiate its trade. Partially Eligible: judge a mill’s output. Ineligible: operate a millstone.
Forester	Fully Eligible: identify useful trees and manage woodland work. Partially Eligible: find a safe route through familiar woods. Ineligible: track a person over difficult ground.
Furrier	Fully Eligible: prepare or assess furs. Partially Eligible: tan a hide into usable leather. Ineligible: train a wild animal.
Glassblower	Fully Eligible: shape or assess blown glass. Partially Eligible: repair a simple glass vessel. Ineligible: make a precise lens.
Groom	Fully Eligible: care for and prepare a horse. Partially Eligible: judge whether a saddle or harness fits properly. Ineligible: train a warhorse for battle.
Herbalist	Fully Eligible: identify and prepare common herbs. Partially Eligible: find a familiar useful plant. Ineligible: diagnose a magical curse.
Hunter	Fully Eligible: track, stalk, and dress common game. Partially Eligible: set a simple snare. Ineligible: navigate a city by its politics.
Lime Burner	Fully Eligible: make lime and judge a kiln’s heat. Partially Eligible: assess mortar quality. Ineligible: quarry stone.
Lock Keeper	Fully Eligible: operate canal locks and manage water flow. Partially Eligible: steer a river craft through calm water. Ineligible: pick a lock.
Mason	Fully Eligible: build or assess stonework. Partially Eligible: identify a weak point in a wall. Ineligible: carve a fine stone statue.
Miller	Fully Eligible: operate and maintain a mill. Partially Eligible: judge grain quality. Ineligible: repair complex gears.
Millwright	Fully Eligible: build or repair a mill’s mechanism. Partially Eligible: judge whether a wooden structure’s framing is sound. Ineligible: design a siege engine.
Miner	Fully Eligible: work a mine and recognize common hazards. Partially Eligible: identify suitable building stone. Ineligible: identify a gem’s value.
Net Maker	Fully Eligible: make or repair nets. Partially Eligible: improvise a rope snare. Ineligible: weave fine cloth.
Pack Mule Driver	Fully Eligible: load, handle, and route pack animals. Partially Eligible: drive a simple wagon on common roads. Ineligible: diagnose animal disease.
Potter	Fully Eligible: make or assess pottery. Partially Eligible: shape a simple piece of glass. Ineligible: fire high-quality glass.
Quarryman	Fully Eligible: cut stone and work a quarry safely. Partially Eligible: assess whether stonework is soundly built. Ineligible: build a finished masonry wall.
Rope Maker	Fully Eligible: make or assess rope. Partially Eligible: tie a secure load-bearing knot. Ineligible: weave a fishing net.
Saddler	Fully Eligible: make, fit, or repair saddles and harness. Partially Eligible: adjust tack for difficult travel. Ineligible: shoe a horse.
Sailor	Fully Eligible: work a vessel and read coastal weather. Partially Eligible: navigate familiar waters. Ineligible: operate a river lock.
Salt Harvester	Fully Eligible: harvest, grade, and preserve salt. Partially Eligible: preserve food with salt. Ineligible: identify an alchemical crystal.
Scavenger	Fully Eligible: find useful material in ruins or refuse. Partially Eligible: pick a simple lock. Ineligible: disarm a trap.
Shepherd	Fully Eligible: manage sheep and judge wool’s condition. Partially Eligible: find safe grazing ground. Ineligible: spin or dye fine wool.
Shingle Maker	Fully Eligible: make or assess wooden shingles. Partially Eligible: repair a simple wooden structure. Ineligible: build a stone arch.
Stablehand	Fully Eligible: care for common stable animals. Partially Eligible: adjust a saddle or harness for a ride. Ineligible: train a hunting hawk.
Steward	Fully Eligible: manage household stores and staff. Partially Eligible: judge the value of a trade good. Ineligible: forge a noble seal.
Stonecutter	Fully Eligible: cut and shape stone. Partially Eligible: recognize tool marks in masonry. Ineligible: survey a mine for ore.
Tanner	Fully Eligible: tan and assess leather. Partially Eligible: repair a leather item. Ineligible: make a tailored garment.
Teamster	Fully Eligible: drive a wagon team and manage freight. Partially Eligible: identify what’s wrong with a wagon that won’t roll true. Ineligible: repair a broken wheel.
Trapper	Fully Eligible: set traps and read animal sign. Partially Eligible: track, stalk, and dress common game. Ineligible: track a person through a city.
Vintner	Fully Eligible: make, store, and judge wine. Partially Eligible: identify a grape-growing site. Ineligible: brew ale.
Wagoner	Fully Eligible: drive and maintain a wagon on common roads. Partially Eligible: judge a bridge for a loaded wagon. Ineligible: build a wagon from raw lumber.
Washwoman	Fully Eligible: clean and maintain clothing and linens. Partially Eligible: mend a simple tear in a garment. Ineligible: repair fine cloth.
Water Carrier	Fully Eligible: transport water safely and judge a source’s condition. Partially Eligible: plan water needs for a short journey. Ineligible: find water in unknown wilderness.
Wax Worker	Fully Eligible: make and assess wax goods. Partially Eligible: seal a common container. Ineligible: identify a forged seal.
Weaver	Fully Eligible: weave and assess common cloth. Partially Eligible: repair a torn garment. Ineligible: tailor formal clothing.
Well Digger	Fully Eligible: dig and maintain wells. Partially Eligible: recognize a common mining hazard. Ineligible: locate groundwater across unfamiliar land.
Wheelwright	Fully Eligible: make or repair wheels and carts. Partially Eligible: diagnose a wagon’s common handling problem. Ineligible: shoe a horse.
Woodcarver	Fully Eligible: carve and assess wooden objects. Partially Eligible: judge whether a piece of furniture is well-built. Ineligible: build a timber frame.
Woodcutter	Fully Eligible: fell, split, and assess common timber. Partially Eligible: clear a path through brush. Ineligible: navigate by the stars.
Woods Guide	Fully Eligible: guide travel through familiar woodland. Partially Eligible: identify a useful or notable tree. Ineligible: track a skilled fugitive.
Woodsman	Fully Eligible: live and work in the woods. Partially Eligible: find practical natural materials. Ineligible: identify rare herbs.

Theoretically, most medieval professions would work as a background. A campaign guide may have additional backgrounds for specific campaigns.