You have dedicated yourself to a cause. While your comrades were training with sword and spell, you were combining your sociological knowledge and oratory skills to add to your numbers, sewing dissent in the minds of the people.
When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine the nature of the cause for which you fight. Is the local lord of your home city a corrupt tyrant? Do you and your comrades embrace a radical political ideology? Maybe your home has been conquered by an occupying force, and you fight to oust the invaders.
- Skill Proficiencies: Performance, History
- Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit, Gaming set of your choice
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a pouch containing 15 gp
There are many kinds of criminals, and within a thieves’ guild or similar criminal organization, individual members have particular specialties. Even criminals who operate outside of such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below.
| d8 | Criminal Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Blackmailer |
| 2 | Burglar |
| 3 | Enforcer |
| 4 | Fence |
| 5 | Highway robber |
| 6 | Hired killer |
| 7 | Pickpocket |
| 8 | Smuggler |
You can recruit others to your cause and enlist the aid of other believers. You can exert influence over these believers to requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly enclaves in cities where your cause is recognized.
Suggested Characteristics
Crk
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong. |
| 2 | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. |
| 3 | The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden. |
| 4 | I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. |
| 5 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. |
| 6 | I don’t pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds. |
| 7 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. |
| 8 | I blow up at the slightest insult. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Honor. I don’t steal from others in the trade. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good) |
| 4 | Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I’m loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Redemption. There’s a spark of good in everyone. (Good) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor. |
| 2 | My ill-gotten gains go to support my family. |
| 3 | Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back. |
| 4 | I will become the greatest thief that ever lived. |
| 5 | I’m guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it. |
| 6 | Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | When I see something valuable, I can’t think about anything but how to steal it. |
| 2 | When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money. |
| 3 | If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it. |
| 4 | I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. |
| 5 | I turn tail and run when things look bad. |
| 6 | An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that. |
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