You are familiar with wealth and status. You once carried a noble title, and your family still owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. Something in your past caused you to run from your family. Be it a banishment, voluntary exile to protect your family, or another reason, you no longer reap the rewards of your family's name.
Is your exile one that is barely spoken of and whispered only in rumors? Was your running away the talk of the town for weeks, fuelling the gossip in taverns and inns? Was your banishment handled by the sovereign or by the head of your house? When you ran away, what state did you leave your house in? Is your family on the verge of collapse? Or are they even better off without you around?
These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign.
- Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, and a purse containing 5 gp
For whatever reason, you had to leave. You may have angered your family, fallen in with a bad crowd, disobeyed your sovereign, or even simply loved the wrong person. In the end, you left.
| d6 | Reason for Running Away |
|---|---|
| 1 | My family was disgraced and lost everything. I am on a quest to redeem their name and help them rise to prominence once more. |
| 2 | Life was miserable for me growing up. As soon as I was able to, I gathered what I could and left to seek a life of adventure. |
| 3 | I found out a dark secret. Now my conscience won't let me stay. I must decide whether to protect or expose my house. |
| 4 | My family has harsh coming-of-age expectations. I was expected to face a near-impossible task and chose to run away instead. My shame haunts me and my family. |
| 5 | I fell in love with a member of a rival family and was ostracized for it. I hope to one day restore peace between our families with a marriage of our houses. |
| 6 | My family disapproved of my studies, I left to continue my work. |
Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and the general layout of noble buildings.
Suggested Characteristics
Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds—responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), 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 noble.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I often talk wistfully about my house and how I long to return some day. |
| 2 | As soon as I left, I hardened myself to the realities of the world, becoming cold and bitter. |
| 3 | I constantly write home to a few family members that still desire to keep in contact with me. |
| 4 | I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions. |
| 5 | If you hurt me or mine, I will not stop hunting you until you are dead or worse, ruining your name and salting your fields. |
| 6 | Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. |
| 7 | My favor, once lost, is lost forever. |
| 8 | I have lost my friends and family, and this sadness follows me wherever I go. |
| d6 | 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. One day I will return home to face my family, whether I return victorious or in chains. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Independence. I will do everything in my power to remain free of the bondage of my house. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. I will crush my family into dust and from their ashes I will raise a new, stronger name. (Evil) |
| 5 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water, even when apart. (Any) |
| 6 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family. |
| 2 | My house’s alliance with another noble family must be restored at all costs. |
| 3 | I love my family more than anything, and I have sacrificed my lifestyle to protect them. |
| 4 | I had a romantic tryst with the heir of a family that my family despises. I love them still, and am constantly torn between them and my family. |
| 5 | Despite my circumstances, my loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering, and I will serve with or without my house. |
| 6 | The common folk have a much better opinion of me in my new life than they did in my old one. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have lost everything and my broken pride makes me hesitant to accept help. |
| 2 | I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever. |
| 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 | I anger easily if compared to my family. I'm better than them. |
| 6 | I have brought shame to my family, and I continue to do so with nearly every word I say. |
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