Sparky McDibben
2019-05-24, 09:32 AM
Hey Playground,
I'm making up some custom backgrounds because while the ones in the PHB are effective, they leave me very meh. I love the ones in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, so now I'm creating them custom for my settings. I want to give the players something that allows them to connect to the setting. Instead of, "I was a shopkeeper," they can say, "I was a shopkeeper in the Union of Khourathi, and as a result of the deals my lord made during the Secession War, I have a strange boon." But my question to you fine folks is about the power level of those backgrounds. I'm trying to balance them (roughly) against each other and the GGtR ones.
Note that these do not have associated spell lists. Please don't worry about the worldbuilding fluff - I'm strictly interested in whether any of these are a "must-have" option.
Here's a couple of them:
Background: Product of a Golden Age
The Sovereignty have made enormous cultural strides in their time. Their work in philosophy, healing, commerce, and debate have made them light years ahead of many other cultures on the planet. You might have studied one of these fields during your education while spending your time on the practice field training for the Great Games.
Skill Proficiencies: Choose one of Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, and one of Acrobatics, Athletics, Stealth and Survival.
Choose either a tool proficiency or weapon proficiency as detailed below:
Tool Proficiences: Choose either an herbalism kit, navigator's tools or see weapon proficiencies, below.
Weapon Proficiencies: Choose three weapons; you are now proficient with them, or see tool proficiencies, above.
Equipment: A book on a topic of your choice, either one set of tools you are proficient with or one weapon you are proficient with, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 25 gp
Feature: Diverse Education
Your meandering education touched on magic as well; you know two cantrips from any spell list.
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Background: Khourathi Citizen
The magelords of Union of the Khourathi made a number of questionable deals during the Secession War, and their effects still linger. The bonds of fealty their serfs swore also made them party to these deals. Anyone who was born into fealty to a magelord who made such a pact bears some small mark, common to the fealty of that magelord. For example, Highlord Baelis' serfs all have curious birthmarks in the shape of a feather as a memento of his deal with a powerful celestial. Lord Sirath's serfs all have one eye where the iris is purple.
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
Tool Proficiencies: Tinker's tools
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: The sigil of your magelord, tinker's tools, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp
Feature: Legacy of the Secession War
You have a single warlock invocation. This invocation must not have any prerequisites attached nor require the use of a warlock spell slot, even if you meet those prerequisites or spell slots. However, your magelord can tap you to fulfill some of his responsibilities under his deal. Occasionally, the entity which holds your magelord's deal may show up and require a small service of you. The exact nature of the service is left up to the DM.
I'm making up some custom backgrounds because while the ones in the PHB are effective, they leave me very meh. I love the ones in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, so now I'm creating them custom for my settings. I want to give the players something that allows them to connect to the setting. Instead of, "I was a shopkeeper," they can say, "I was a shopkeeper in the Union of Khourathi, and as a result of the deals my lord made during the Secession War, I have a strange boon." But my question to you fine folks is about the power level of those backgrounds. I'm trying to balance them (roughly) against each other and the GGtR ones.
Note that these do not have associated spell lists. Please don't worry about the worldbuilding fluff - I'm strictly interested in whether any of these are a "must-have" option.
Here's a couple of them:
Background: Product of a Golden Age
The Sovereignty have made enormous cultural strides in their time. Their work in philosophy, healing, commerce, and debate have made them light years ahead of many other cultures on the planet. You might have studied one of these fields during your education while spending your time on the practice field training for the Great Games.
Skill Proficiencies: Choose one of Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, and one of Acrobatics, Athletics, Stealth and Survival.
Choose either a tool proficiency or weapon proficiency as detailed below:
Tool Proficiences: Choose either an herbalism kit, navigator's tools or see weapon proficiencies, below.
Weapon Proficiencies: Choose three weapons; you are now proficient with them, or see tool proficiencies, above.
Equipment: A book on a topic of your choice, either one set of tools you are proficient with or one weapon you are proficient with, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 25 gp
Feature: Diverse Education
Your meandering education touched on magic as well; you know two cantrips from any spell list.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background: Khourathi Citizen
The magelords of Union of the Khourathi made a number of questionable deals during the Secession War, and their effects still linger. The bonds of fealty their serfs swore also made them party to these deals. Anyone who was born into fealty to a magelord who made such a pact bears some small mark, common to the fealty of that magelord. For example, Highlord Baelis' serfs all have curious birthmarks in the shape of a feather as a memento of his deal with a powerful celestial. Lord Sirath's serfs all have one eye where the iris is purple.
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History
Tool Proficiencies: Tinker's tools
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: The sigil of your magelord, tinker's tools, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp
Feature: Legacy of the Secession War
You have a single warlock invocation. This invocation must not have any prerequisites attached nor require the use of a warlock spell slot, even if you meet those prerequisites or spell slots. However, your magelord can tap you to fulfill some of his responsibilities under his deal. Occasionally, the entity which holds your magelord's deal may show up and require a small service of you. The exact nature of the service is left up to the DM.