You were born in a tribe that lives in the wilderness. You might come from the lush jungle, expansive plain or harsh and cold tundra. No matter if you're from a small band of nomadic hunters, a tribe regrouping many bands under the same traditions, or a clan of marauders pillaging settlements, your people learned to subsist from what the land provides.
Yet something made you leave. Was your clan attacked and you're a survivor out for vengeance? Were you exiled because you transgressed a taboo? Or are you maybe trying to prove yourself and bring glory to your clan?
- Skill Proficiencies: You learn perception and either nature or survival.
- Tool Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with one tool or one type of musical instrument determined by your occupation.
- Languages: You gain one exotic language used within your tribe to pass down rituals and stories though oral tradition.
- Equipment: A hunting trap, a small knife, a totemic token or set of tattoos, a set of clothes, traveler's, and a pouch containing 5 gp.
In the often harsh wilds, everyone must pull their weight. You might have been working with shamans, providing balms and poultices, maybe you learned leatherworking to dress your people, you might even have been in charge of crafting and maintaining weapons, or you might have been one of the storytellers, using instruments to enhance the lore and traditions you imparted. You can roll on the following table to determine your occupation, or choose one that best fits your character.
| d8 | Occupation within the tribe |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hunting, foraging and making food for the tribe(Cook's utensils) |
| 2 | Making ales and alcoholic beverage used in rituals (Brewer’s supplies) |
| 3 | Crafting, maintaining and sharpening weapons (Smith’s tools) |
| 4 | Tanning leathers and crafting clothes and armor with them (Leatherworker’s tools) |
| 5 | Building tent frame, palisade or cheval de frise (Carpenter’s tools) |
| 6 | Gathering herbs and making balms or poultices (Herbalism Kit) |
| 7 | Telling stories, passing down lore and taboos through oral tradition (a music instrument) |
| 8 | Making arrows, carving simple wooden tableware or crafting totems (Woodcarver’s tools) |
Your tattoos, scars, ritual markings or feral-looking weapons instill fear in most people. They would rather not have anything to do with you, whether their reason is based on experience or stems from stereotypes. 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.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the outlander background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a tribe member.
Tribe members can be a rough lot, but life in the wilds make then generally self-sufficient and reliable. The harsh life condition, their strong bond within the tribe and its tradition shape their outlook and form their most important attachments. Even if you have left your tribe behind (at least for now), you probably still hold to the traditions of your people.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m driven by a wanderlust that led me away from home. |
| 2 | I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. |
| 3 | I once ran twenty-five miles without stopping to warn to my clan of an approaching orc horde. I’d do it again if I had to. |
| 4 | I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature. |
| 5 | I place no stock in wealthy or well-mannered folk. Money and manners won’t save you from a hungry owlbear. |
| 6 | I’m always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them. |
| 7 | I feel far more comfortable around animals than people. |
| 8 | I was, in fact, raised by wolves. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Greater Good. It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole tribe. (Good) |
| 3 | Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) |
| 5 | Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me. |
| 2 | An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me. |
| 3 | I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland. |
| 4 | I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend. |
| 5 | I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it. |
| 6 | It is my duty to provide children to sustain my tribe. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants. |
| 2 | There’s no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest. |
| 3 | I remember every insult I’ve received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who’s ever wronged me. |
| 4 | I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies. |
| 5 | Violence is my answer to almost any challenge. |
| 6 | Don’t expect me to save those who can’t save themselves. It is nature’s way that the strong thrive and the weak perish. |
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