You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them.
Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much authority that title carries.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: 2 type of tools
- Languages: two of your choice
- Equipment: a set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 50 gp
Thanks to your royal birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. You are the peak of high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. The common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your displeasure, and other people of high birth treat you as their superior. You can secure an audience with a local noble if you need to.
Suggested Characteristics
Royals are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A royal title comes with a plethora of bonds—responsibilities to family, to nobles, to the people entrusted to the family’s care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a royal.
| d7 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world. |
| 2 | The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity. |
| 3 | No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses. |
| 4 | I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations. |
| 5 | Despite my royal birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. |
| 6 | f you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields. |
| 7 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any) |
| d9 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good) |
| 2 | Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil) |
| 5 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good) |
| 6 | my kingdom's alliance with another kingdom must be sustained at all costs |
| 7 | nothing is more important than the other members of my family |
| 8 | i am in love with the heir of a rival/enemy kingdom |
| 9 | the common folk must see me as a hero of the people |
| d1 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | i will face any challenges to win the approval of my family |
| d5 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | i believe that everyone is beneath me |
| 2 | i hide a scandalous secret that will disgrace my family |
| 3 | I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I’m quick to anger. |
| 4 | I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures. |
| 5 | In fact, the world does revolve around me. |
Your parents are the ruling queen and king
If your character has a Royal background, you may select this background feature instead of Position of Privilege.
You have the service of three retainers loyal to your family. These retainers can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused
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