You lived in seclusion for a formative part of your life voluntarily or not, serving a master who may have taught you in the dark arts or used you as a minion. Maybe something terrible happened to you in the past which drove you into the arms of your master, you may have joined your master in the hope to become more powerful, or your master kidnapped and enslaved you. Either-way, in your time apart you saw and learned things you would have never dreamed of.
- Skill Proficiencies: Deception, plus one from among Arcana and Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools or Poisoner's kit
- Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)
- Equipment: A trinket engraved with a symbol related to your master, a small knife, a tinderbox, 5 candles, a piece of chalk, a set of common clothes including a dark cloak with a hood, one trinket of special significance, and a pouch containing 5 gp.
Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was defined by one dark moment, one fateful decision, or one tragedy which finally led to a life in the service of your master. You can work with your DM to determine what exactly led you into the arms of your master, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the reason behind your seclusion.
Also think about what changed to allow you to end your service, or if you are still serving your master.
| d10 | Stroke of Fate |
|---|---|
| 1 | A monster that slaughtered dozens of innocent people spared your life, and left you all alone in the woods. |
| 2 | You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night. |
| 3 | An apparition that has haunted your family for generations now haunts you. You will try everything to get rid of it. |
| 4 | Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts which led you on a path of darkness as well. |
| 5 | An oni took one of your loved ones one cold, dark night, and you were unable to stop it. On that fateful night you've decided that you would do anything to prevent something like this happening ever again. |
| 6 | You were charmed by a vampire for several years, but somehow managed to escape his clutches. You are now haunted by the memories of the innocents you've betrayed in the service of your former master. |
| 7 | A hag kidnapped and raised you. You escaped, but the hag still has a magical hold over you and fills your mind with evil thoughts. |
| 8 | You opened an eldritch tome and a dark entity took control over you. You saw things unfit for a sane mind. After years you finally managed to burn the book, but its words and images are still burned into your psyche. |
| 9 | A fiend possessed you as a child. You were locked away but escaped. The fiend is still inside you, but now you try to keep it locked away. |
| 10 | The murder of someone you loved led you on a path of revenge and violence. You did terrible things to find the ones responsible. |
Your years in the service of your master gave you access to a unique and dangerous discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your master. It might be a hidden truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no living being is supposed to know about. You might have acquired knowledge that has been forbidden and thereby nearly forgotten, or unearthed some dark relic of the past that could pose a danger to the living world. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society.
Work with your DM to determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign.
Suggested Characteristics
Those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you. You are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me. |
| 2 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. |
| 3 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. |
| 4 | I live for the thrill of the hunt. |
| 5 | I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. |
| 6 | I expect danger around every corner. |
| 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. |
| 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 2 | I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) |
| 3 | I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) |
| 4 | I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | I like to know my enemy’s capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) |
| 6 | I’m a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. |
| 2 | I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. |
| 3 | My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I’ve lost. |
| 4 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 5 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. |
| 6 | I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. |
| 2 | I assume the worst in people. |
| 3 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones. |
| 4 | I have an addiction. |
| 5 | I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. |
| 6 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. |
Previous Versions
| Name | Date Modified | Views | Adds | Version | Actions |
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3/17/2021 8:15:46 AM
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92
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17
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1.0
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Coming Soon
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