D&D5E - Backgrounds

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, or, 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 sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features,
proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.

Proficiencies
• Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills.
• Skills are described in chapter 7 of the PHB.
• In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools.
• Tools are detailed in chapter 5 of the PHB.
• 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.
•
Languages
• Some backgrounds also allow characters to learn additional languages beyond those given by race.

Equipment
• Each background provides a package of starting equipment. If you use the optional rule from chapter 5
to spend coins 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.

Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a 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 coins on gear as described in
chapter 5. (If you spend coins, 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 DM to create one.
List of Backgrounds
An "AL"-marked background refers to content that was not released in the source listed. Rather, it was
created and introduced by the Adventurers League. While they are still legal backgrounds, you may wish
to check with your DM before using any of them.
Additionally, any source that starts with "PS" is part of the Plane Shift series and is not inherently
allowed. As always, please check with your DM before using it.

Name Source Skills Languages Tools

Acolyte PHB Insight (WIS), religion (INT) Any x2 None
Anthropologist ToA Insight (WIS), religion (INT) Any x2 None
Choose 1: cartographer's
Archaeologist ToA History (INT), survival (WIS) Any x1
tools, navigator's tools
Disguise kit, and choose
Black Fist Double CoS(A Deception (CHA), insight None 1: artisan's tools x1,
Agent L) (WIS)
gaming set x1
Caravan Animal handling (WIS),
EE(AL) survival (WIS) Any x1 Vehicles (land)
Specialist
Deception (CHA), sleight of
Charlatan PHB None Disguise kit, forgery kit
hand (DEX)
City Watch SCAG Athletics (STR), insight (WIS) Any x2 None
Clan Crafter SCAG History (INT), insight (WIS) Any x1 Artisan's tools x1
History (INT), and choose 1:
Cloistered
SCAG arcana (INT), nature (INT), Any x2 None
Scholar religion (INT)
Cormanthor RoD(A Nature (INT), survival (WIS) Elvish Artisan's tools x1
Refugee L)
Insight (WIS), persuasion
Courtier SCAG (CHA) Any x2 None

Deception (CHA), stealth Gaming set x1, thieves'

Criminal PHB None
(DEX) tools
Special (See
Dissenter PS:A Special (See page) Special (See page)
page)
CoS(A Intimidation (CHA), survival Draconic Special (See page)
Dragon Casualty (WIS)
L)
Dwarvish,
Earthspur Miner EE(AL) Athletics (STR), survival (WIS) Undercommon None

Acrobatics (DEX), performance Disguise kit, musical

Entertainer PHB None
(CHA) instrument x1
Insight (WIS), and choose 1:
Faction Agent SCAG special (See page) Any x2 None

Choose 1: musical
Insight (WIS), perception
Far Traveler SCAG (WIS) Any x1 instrument x1, gaming set
x1
 Name Source Skills Languages Tools
Animal handling (WIS), Artisan's tools x1,
Folk Hero PHB None
survival (WIS) vehicles (land)
RoD(A Deception (CHA), sleight of None
Musical instrument x1,
Gate Urchin hand (DEX) thieves' tools
L)
Acrobatics (DEX), performance Disguise kit, unusual
Gladiator PHB None
(CHA) weapon x1
Insight (WIS), persuasion
Guild Artisan PHB Any x1 Artisan's tools x1
(CHA)
Insight (WIS), persuasion
Guild Merchant PHB Any x1 Navigator's tools
(CHA)
Athletics (STR), sleight of hand Gaming set x1, vehicles
Harborfolk EE(AL) (DEX) None
(water)
Choose 2: Arcana (INT),
Haunted One CoS investigation (INT), religion Exotic x1 None
(INT), survival (WIS)
Hermit PHB Medicine (WIS), religion (INT) Any x1 Herbalism kit
RoD(A Insight (WIS), persuasion None
Vehicles (land), vehicles
Hillsfar Merchant (CHA) (water)
L)
RoD(A Perception (WIS), stealth Any x1 Forgery kit
Hillsfar Smuggler (DEX)
L)
Investigation (INT), persuasion
House Agent WGE None Special (See page)
(CHA)
Survival (WIS), and choose 1:
Gaming set x1, musical
Inheritor SCAG arcana (INT), history (INT), None
instrument x1
religion (INT)
Athletics (STR), intimidation Gaming set x1, vehicles
Initiate PS:A None
(CHA) (land)
Investigation (INT), religion Artisan's tools x1, thieves'
Inquisitor PS:In None
(INT) tools
Insight (WIS), investigation
Investigator SCAG (INT) Any x2 None

CoS(A Animal handling (WIS), stealth None Gaming set x1, vehicles
Iron Route Bandit (DEX) (land)
L)
History (INT), persuasion
Knight PHB Any x1 Gaming set x1
(CHA)
Knight of the Persuasion (CHA), and choose Choose 1: gaming set x1,
SCAG 1: special (See page) Any x1
Order musical instrument x1
Mercenary Athletics (STR), persuasion Gaming set x1, vehicles
SCAG (CHA) None
Veteran (land)
Mulmaster Deception (CHA), performance Artisan's tools x1, musical
EE(AL) (CHA) None
Aristocrat instrument x1
 Name Source Skills Languages Tools
History (INT), persuasion
Noble PHB Any x1 Gaming set x1
(CHA)
Outlander PHB Athletics (STR), survival (WIS) Any x1 Musical instrument x1
CoS(A Stealth (DEX), survival (WIS) None Artisan's tools x1,
Phlan Insurgent vehicles (land)
L)
Phlan Refugee EE(AL) Athletics (STR), insight (WIS) Any x1 Artisan's tools x1
Athletics (STR), perception Navigator's tools, vehicles
Pirate PHB None
(WIS) (water)
Sage PHB Arcana (INT), history (INT) Any x2 None
Athletics (STR), perception Navigator's tools, vehicles
Sailor PHB None
(WIS) (water)
RoD(A Deception (CHA), stealth None Disguise kit, forgery kit
Secret Identity (DEX)
L)
RoD(A Deception (CHA), intimidation Netherese Forgery kit
Shade Fanatic (CHA)
L)
Athletics (STR), intimidation Gaming set x1, vehicles
Soldier PHB None
(CHA) (land)
Deception (CHA), stealth Gaming set x1, thieves'
Spy PHB None
(DEX) tools
Stojanow CoS(A Deception (CHA), perception None
Gaming set x1, thieves'
Prisoner L) (WIS) tools
Ticklebelly CoS(A Animal handling (WIS), nature Giant Herbalism kit
Nomad L) (INT)
RoD(A Investigation (INT), persuasion Elvish Thieves' tools
Trade Sheriff (CHA)
L)
Choose 2: deception (CHA), Choose 2: gaming set x1,
Urban Bounty
SCAG insight (WIS), persuasion None musical instrument x1,
Hunter (CHA), stealth (DEX) thieves' tools
Sleight of hand (DEX), stealth
Urchin PHB None Disguise kit, thieves' tools
(DEX)
Uthgardt Tribe Choose 1: artisan's tools
SCAG Athletics (STR), survival (WIS) Any x1 x1, musical instrument x1
Member
Artisan's tools x1, musical
Vizier PS:A History (INT), religion (INT) None
instrument x1
Waterdhavian History (INT), persuasion Choose 1: gaming set x1,
SCAG (CHA) Any x1
Noble musical instrument x1