Ranch Hand

You have spent your life on a ranch, feeding and caring for livestock. Perhaps you were born into a family of ranching folk, working with your kin to feed your village. Maybe the job was a means to an end — a way out of an undesirable circumstance that forced you to take up life on the farm. Regardless of how you began, you soon fell in love with the lifestyle and the art of livestock rearing and the freedom of the great cattle drives.

Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival

Languages: One of your choice

Equipment: harmonica, leather boots, a wide brimmed leather hat, a set of traveler’s clothes, a belt buckle and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Ranchers succeed only if they spend time at their jobs. As such, most ranchers have a strong work ethic, and they admire others who earn their living honestly. Ranchers tend to have a strong sense of honour. They have a connection to the land on which they ranch and drive cattle, and they think poorly of those whose actions adversely affect their livelihood.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I am unmoved by the wrath of nature.
2	My friends are my posse; we win or lose together.
3	I need long stretches of quiet to clear my head.
4	Rich folk don’t know the satisfaction of hard work.
5	I laugh heartily, feel deeply, and fear nothing.
6	I work hard; nature offers no handouts.
7	I dislike bargaining; state your price and mean it.
8	Luck favors me, and I take risks others might not.

d6	Ideal
1	Camaraderie. Good people make even the longest cattle drive bearable. (Good)
2	Luck. Our luck depends on respecting its rules — now throw this salt over your shoulder. (Lawful)
3	Daring. The richest bounty goes to those who risk everything. (Chaotic)
4	Plunder. Take all that you can and leave nothing for the scavengers. (Evil)
5	Balance. Do not graze the same spot twice in a row; suppress your greed, and nature will reward you. (Neutral)
6	Hard Work. No sun or rain can move a soul hard at work. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I lost something important in a valley, and I intend to find it.
2	Someone else’s greed destroyed my livelihood, and I will be compensated.
3	I will work the famous fields of this land.
4	The gods saved me during a terrible storm, and I will honor their gift.
5	My destiny awaits me at the bottom of a particular ravine in the Feywild.
6	I must repay my village’s debt.

d6	Flaw
1	I am judgmental, especially of those I deem homebodies or otherwise lazy.
2	I become depressed and anxious if I’m away from the ranch for too long.
3	I have lived a hard life and find it difficult to empathize with others.
4	I am inclined to tell long-winded stories at inopportune times.
5	I work hard, but I play harder.
6	I am obsessed with driving the perfect herd, often to the detriment of other pursuits.