Modern Background Ideas?

[Gfrobbin84]

Hey I am working on a D&D 5e modern game set on earth, late 90s-early 2000s. Magic and monsters are real but most people don't know and those that do aim to keep it that way for the of the whole planet. The players will start off as 0 levels with little or no knowledge of the truth about magic and monsters, class and skill will determine starting knowledge. I am having some trouble coming up with ideas for character backgrounds. So I was hoping y'all could help me with brain storming some background seeds if not full backgrounds.

[Falcon X]

I would grab another RPG system like Cthulhu or All Flesh Must Be Eaten and just take ideas from their characters. The Professor, the Goth Kid, the Sports Star, the Good Ole Boy, the Preacher, the Evangelist, the Businessman, the Bartender, the Rancher, the Private Investigator, the Bouncer, etc.

However, if you want to boil them down to about 12 or so archetypal backgrounds, like core 5e does, here are my options:
- The tech-wiz
- The athlete
- The businessman
- The hobo
- The religious (suboptions of cultist, pastor, etc.)
- The artist
- The grifter
- The foreigner
- The scholar
- The conspiracy theorist

[2D8HP]

Hey I am working on a D&D 5e modern game set on earth, late 90s-early 2000s. I was hoping y'all could help me with brain storming some background seeds if not full backgrounds.
Background: 1990's RPG'ing.
Background skill: Brooding.
Tool proficiency: Trenchcoat.:smallfrown:

Background: 2000's RPG'ing.
Background skill: Edition warring.
Tool proficiency: Scowl. :smallsmile:

[Renvir]

D20 Modern had a pretty good list: Academic, Adventurer, Athlete, Blue Collar, Celebrity, Creative, Criminal, Dilettante, Doctor, Emergency Services, Entrepreneur, Investigator, Law Enforcement, Military, Religious, Rural (farmer, hunter, etc.), Student, Technician (Scientists and Engineers), White Collar.

As for what they offer PHB 125 says each background should get one feature, two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or languages. Ignore the equipment and just give them some starting cash.

Are you adding new skills and tools to the game? Off the top of my head I'd say Science (INT), Mechanics (INT), and Computers/Tech (INT) would make sense. Maybe replace Religion with Ideology to make it more well rounded.

[Gfrobbin84]

I am adding new skills:

Hacking (Int) everyone will be able to use computers on a basic level, google, email, word processing. Hacking will be for anything more technical beyond that.
Science (Int)
Engineering (int)
Culture (Cha?) Mainly pop culture knowledge, what is in style and what's not recognizing celebrities and what not.
Law (int)

[Ninja_Prawn]

I am adding new skills:

Hacking (Int) everyone will be able to use computers on a basic level, google, email, word processing. Hacking will be for anything more technical beyond that.
Science (Int)
Engineering (int)
Culture (Cha?) Mainly pop culture knowledge, what is in style and what's not recognizing celebrities and what not.
Law (int)

I would put Culture under Int as well. For one, it's the modern equivalent of the History skill in medieval settings (History covers noble houses, flags, sigils, etc as well as 'the past'), and for another, it serves to reinforce the idea that Intelligence matters more in a modern setting than it does in a medieval one.

You'll probably want to introduce new tools, as well. At a glance, I'd say Gunsmith's Tools, Vehicles (Air), Chemistry Kit, Electrician's Tools, Mechanic's Tools and Software Tools could all find a place in the adventure.

[Gfrobbin84]

I was debating the stat on culture as it didn't feel right making all the new skills int based but I guess they are essentially all knowledge skills. I like those tool ideas but not sure what software tools would cover that hacking doesn't?

[Ninja_Prawn]

I like those tool ideas but not sure what software tools would cover that hacking doesn't?

It' up to you what you want to include, but I would say there's room for both. Software tools are generally for creating things, so Photoshopping a picture, writing an applet, programming an FPGA, etc. are things that benefit from software tool proficiency, while 'hacking' is more about extracting information from computer systems, so it would apply to cracking passwords and activation keys, eavesdropping on data transfers, writing viruses and other generic coding tasks, finding loopholes in and bypassing security features, and navigating unfamiliar computer architectures.

Clearly, hacking is more useful to adventurers, which is why it is a skill rather than a tool proficiency. Software tools are more specialised and creative; also they are only relevant when you have the actual programs on hand, while you could put your hacking skills to use on any system, anywhere.

[Douche]

I would put Culture under Int as well. For one, it's the modern equivalent of the History skill in medieval settings (History covers noble houses, flags, sigils, etc as well as 'the past'), and for another, it serves to reinforce the idea that Intelligence matters more in a modern setting than it does in a medieval one.

You'll probably want to introduce new tools, as well. At a glance, I'd say Gunsmith's Tools, Vehicles (Air), Chemistry Kit, Electrician's Tools, Mechanic's Tools and Software Tools could all find a place in the adventure.

Every skill mentioned so far has used Int....

If anything, pop culture should be Wisdom, being aware of current trends and such. Although truthfully I would argue against calling people wise when they're overly entrenched in pop culture :smalltongue:

[Gfrobbin84]

Every skill mentioned so far has used Int....

If anything, pop culture should be Wisdom, being aware of current trends and such. Although truthfully I would argue against calling people wise when they're overly entrenched in pop culture :smalltongue:

This was my same thought process...

[Ninja_Prawn]

Every skill mentioned so far has used Int....

If anything, pop culture should be Wisdom, being aware of current trends and such. Although truthfully I would argue against calling people wise when they're overly entrenched in pop culture :smalltongue:

Perhaps Wisdom is relevant. A wise person is aware of what's going on around them... but I still think 'knowing things about pop culture' is mostly a memory job (i.e. Int-based). There's no difference, really, between 'arcane lore' and 'pop culture', and I can't see anyone arguing that the former isn't an Int skill.

[mgshamster]

Check out my guide for designing Background Features (see my sig) as you're designing the modern backgrounds.

[RickAllison]

Culture (Int): trivia
Culture (Wis): societal norms, etc.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Here's another thought: do some of the 'standard' skills need to be cut from the game? How many modern people are proficient in Survival? It's just not a valuable skill any more, and could perhaps become a class feature for the Ranger. Maybe Animal Handling as well.

Medicine has changed beyond recognition, as well. D&D Medicine is what we might call First Aid, while an actual medical practitioner is capable of much more. Short of creating new class options, you could have a 'Surgeon' feat, or a 'Pharmaceutical Knowledge' skill...

[Gfrobbin84]

Here's another thought: do some of the 'standard' skills need to be cut from the game? How many modern people are proficient in Survival? It's just not a valuable skill any more, and could perhaps become a class feature for the Ranger. Maybe Animal Handling as well.

Medicine has changed beyond recognition, as well. D&D Medicine is what we might call First Aid, while an actual medical practitioner is capable of much more. Short of creating new class options, you could have a 'Surgeon' feat, or a 'Pharmaceutical Knowledge' skill...

I think I will keep survival as they will still likely be in the wilderness a good bit, magic and monsters aren't common knowledge they will be monster hunters. Also going to just keep medicine as is. I like the skill light nature of 5e and don't want to bloat it with to many new ones. Might look into the feat idea though.

[Demonslayer666]

I second using the stuff from d20 Modern. I felt like they did a great job of covering the bases.

http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/srdhome.html

[Renvir]

I think I will keep survival as they will still likely be in the wilderness a good bit, magic and monsters aren't common knowledge they will be monster hunters. Also going to just keep medicine as is. I like the skill light nature of 5e and don't want to bloat it with to many new ones. Might look into the feat idea though.

If you do find that you've got more skills overall (17 currently in 5e) then you can always give everyone one free skill on top of their two background skills.

[Ninja_Prawn]

If you do find that you've got more skills overall (17 currently in 5e) then you can always give everyone one free skill on top of their two background skills.

Pro: it represents the fact that most modern people have some formal education.

Con: modern people tend to be more specialised than medieval folk, with less skill overlap between individuals. Plus the 17 basic skills sometimes don't seem enough to me. A party of 5 or more is likely to have most of the important ones duplicated.

Increasing the number of options without giving away a free one increases the value of highly-skilled characters and forces the players to make tough choices. Personally, I think the skill system could do with a dose of that.

[Renvir]

Pro: it represents the fact that most modern people have some formal education.

Con: modern people tend to be more specialised than medieval folk, with less skill overlap between individuals. Plus the 17 basic skills sometimes don't seem enough to me. A party of 5 or more is likely to have most of the important ones duplicated.

Increasing the number of options without giving away a free one increases the value of highly-skilled characters and forces the players to make tough choices. Personally, I think the skill system could do with a dose of that.

You'd hope generations of near universal education would increase the average skill level of people, but specialization and the use of better tools might mean a similar number of skills known even if the number of skills overall has increased.

To the OP, I chatted with my gaming group about this because we'd previously talked about trying a modern or future D&D. We came up with the following set of skills that we would use based on an early internet age setting.

Athletics - (Str) Keep it
Acrobatics - (Dex) Keep it
Stealth - (Dex) Combined with Sleight of Hand
Arcana - (Int) Keep it but make it rare for anyone to start with it
History - (Int) Keep it
Investigation - (Int) Keep it
Survival - (Wis) Combined with Nature (rename to more of a catch all term and keep it a Wis skill)
Animal Handling - (Wis) No clear conclusion, came down to keep it or make it a tool instead
Insight - (Wis) Keep it
Medicine - (Wis) Keep it
Perception - (Wis) Keep it
Intimidation - (Cha) Keep it
Performance - (Cha) There was some dissenting opinions on this but would keep it.
Persuasion - (Cha) Combine with Deception
Ideology - (Int) Combines knowledge of religious, political, economic, and social structures
Science - (Int) Catch all for physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific branches. I know there are massive differences but trying not to overburden the system
Engineering - (Int) Checks to see if you could fix, build, or modify complex objects. Definitely would need a feeling out process on that one
Culture - (Wis?) This one is tricky. All things related to cultural knowledge (e.g. customs, taboos, etc.). Maybe a wisdom skill if only to balance the growing list of intelligence skills.
Comp/Tech - (Int) Use and knowledge of computers and technology above and beyond common understanding.

Normal 5e has 1 Str, 3 Dex, 5 Int, 5 Wis, and 4 Cha skills. This list has 1 Str, 2 Dex, 7 Int, 6 Wis, and 3 Cha skills. Intelligent and Wise people will get more love but maybe that makes sense for a modern setting where many physical issues have been solved by technological progress.