Background check

[Riftwolf]

When I put my current 5e character together I think I mistook how backgrounds work? I thought it was like a premade character thing when my DM told me about them and said I didn't really need one. Upon reading them however I think they give extra skill proficiencies as well as fluff. Did I read this right?

It doesn't matter too much with my current character as he's a Druid so not the party skill-monkey (except tracking and perception which I got through Lizardfolk race), but if my next character (always making backup alts) is skilled I'd like to know I can get more skills (this isn't minmaxy, I'm not looking at the MTG crossover stuff, the party we currently have is definitely suboptimal builds and playstyles because it's more fun. I'm currently the soberest build and I still wanna melt houses)

[Lvl 2 Expert]

In 5e your background is kind of important at low levels. It depends on which one you pick, but some give a feat-like ability that synergizes pretty well with some builds. Plus some extra skill/tool proficiencies are always nice. You don't really need it to play, but you don't really need a race either, and those still help quite a lot.

[Mastikator]

All characters should have a background, they're not just a source of skills, they also give unique niche features that can be used in story moments and during roleplay. They also add to the backstory of a character, their motivation for adventure.

[Silly Name]

Backgrounds aren't really "optional" - what's really optional is how much you want to adhere to the "fluff" they give you (e.g., what being a Charlatan or a Noble means within the game), but they provide you with extra skill and tool proficiencies, languages known, gold and starting equipment as well as a Background Privilege that the game assumes you do have. You can just take the mechanical aspect and completely change the "what was your character doing in their past" aspect of them, and you and your DM can even make custom backgrounds together, but a character who doesn't pick a background will be much "narrower" than what the game expects.

There are some feats that grant you Proficiency in new skills: Skilled (PHB), Skill Expert (Tasha's), and Prodigy (Xanathar's - Human, Half-Elf or Half-Orc only). But in general if you want a skill monkey character, you want to be a Bard or a Rogue (they get the most starting skills, and they have Expertise built-in in the base class).

[Unoriginal]

When I put my current 5e character together I think I mistook how backgrounds work? I thought it was like a premade character thing when my DM told me about them and said I didn't really need one. Upon reading them however I think they give extra skill proficiencies as well as fluff. Did I read this right?

It doesn't matter too much with my current character as he's a Druid so not the party skill-monkey (except tracking and perception which I got through Lizardfolk race), but if my next character (always making backup alts) is skilled I'd like to know I can get more skills (this isn't minmaxy, I'm not looking at the MTG crossover stuff, the party we currently have is definitely suboptimal builds and playstyles because it's more fun. I'm currently the soberest build and I still wanna melt houses)

As the others have said, Background aren't just a source of skill proficiency and just fluff.

A few examples of the features granted by the Backgrounds:

Soldier:


Military Rank
You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.

Hermit:


Discovery
The quiet seclusion of your extended hermitage gave you access to a unique and powerful discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your seclusion. It might be a great truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no one else has ever seen. You might have uncovered a fact that has long been forgotten, or unearthed some relic of the past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who or consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society.

Work with your DM to determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign.

Pirate:


Bad Reputation
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a civilized settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay for food at a tavern or breaking down doors at a local shop, since most people will not report your activity to the authorities.

Sage:


Researcher
When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

And the classic outlander, which makes you basically better at finding your way around than the ranger.

[crabwizard77]

You or your DM might be confusing backstory with backround. Backstory is kind of like the prologe, a little story you write to tell about your characters past. Backround gives you a couple of little profeciencies and also a unique feature.

[Riftwolf]

You or your DM might be confusing backstory with backround. Backstory is kind of like the prologe, a little story you write to tell about your characters past. Backround gives you a couple of little profeciencies and also a unique feature.

One problem I've found is they can be a bit restricted in choices. For instance, I'm currently playing a Lizardfolk Druid who's old, knackered and brews rotbag moonshine and lutefisk. He's spent his whole life wandering the swamp with his clan until he volunteers as an emissary, his first interaction with a city was getting arrested for jaywalking and he dislikes roads for political reasons. If there'd been a brewer, yokel, shaman, or nomad background I'd have tweaked one of them, but from the list I got the only one which fit was Outlander which felt more barbarian than anything. I might write some setting specific homebrews for the DMs approval to add to the list (like all DMs, he's wanting to put together a world book)

[Lvl 2 Expert]

One problem I've found is they can be a bit restricted in choices. For instance, I'm currently playing a Lizardfolk Druid who's old, knackered and brews rotbag moonshine and lutefisk. He's spent his whole life wandering the swamp with his clan until he volunteers as an emissary, his first interaction with a city was getting arrested for jaywalking and he dislikes roads for political reasons. If there'd been a brewer, yokel, shaman, or nomad background I'd have tweaked one of them, but from the list I got the only one which fit was Outlander which felt more barbarian than anything. I might write some setting specific homebrews for the DMs approval to add to the list (like all DMs, he's wanting to put together a world book)

For most DM's this is fine I feel like. Two proficiencies, some flavorful feature, one or two useful items and it doesn't feel like an attempt to powergame, than it's good. Even if the only character it would ever make sense for is yours.

[Silly Name]

l If there'd been a brewer, yokel, shaman, or nomad background I'd have tweaked one of them, but from the list I got the only one which fit was Outlander which felt more barbarian than anything. I might write some setting specific homebrews for the DMs approval to add to the list (like all DMs, he's wanting to put together a world book)

Keep in mind that coming up with a custom background is absolutely RAW:



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 coin on gear as described in chapter 5. (If you spend coin, 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.

[Tawmis]

When I put my current 5e character together I think I mistook how backgrounds work? I thought it was like a premade character thing when my DM told me about them and said I didn't really need one. Upon reading them however I think they give extra skill proficiencies as well as fluff. Did I read this right?

It doesn't matter too much with my current character as he's a Druid so not the party skill-monkey (except tracking and perception which I got through Lizardfolk race), but if my next character (always making backup alts) is skilled I'd like to know I can get more skills (this isn't minmaxy, I'm not looking at the MTG crossover stuff, the party we currently have is definitely suboptimal builds and playstyles because it's more fun. I'm currently the soberest build and I still wanna melt houses)

Check with your DM.

They may mean their BACKGROUND STORY. So when you say, "Do I need a background?" They might think the character's history/summary.

[Unoriginal]

One problem I've found is they can be a bit restricted in choices. For instance, I'm currently playing a Lizardfolk Druid who's old, knackered and brews rotbag moonshine and lutefisk. He's spent his whole life wandering the swamp with his clan until he volunteers as an emissary, his first interaction with a city was getting arrested for jaywalking and he dislikes roads for political reasons. If there'd been a brewer, yokel, shaman, or nomad background I'd have tweaked one of them, but from the list I got the only one which fit was Outlander which felt more barbarian than anything. I might write some setting specific homebrews for the DMs approval to add to the list (like all DMs, he's wanting to put together a world book)

If I had to pick a Background from the book without modification, I'd say this sounds like a Folk Hero.

IIRC one of the suggested options even has the "arrested unjustly" part.