You spent the early years of your life caged, tortured and experimented on by a cruel and evil Wizard. It was either by Luck or Divine providence that you finally managed to escape, and make your way into the seclusion of the wilds.
- Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Stealth
- Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist's Supplies
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your masters studies (Stolen in your escape), a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an Alchemist's Kit, and 1 gp.
The painful and magical nature of your extended torture gave you access to a unique and powerful discovery. The exact nature of this revelation depends on the nature of your captors experiments. It might be a great truth about the cosmos, the deities, the powers of the arcane, beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be an experimental spell that no one else has ever seen, or the ability to use a single lvl1 spell as though it were a Cantrip. You might have uncovered a secret that has long been forgotten. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who captured and tortured you, and hence the reason for your return to society.
Work with your DM to determine the details of your Secrets and its impact on the campaign.
Suggested Characteristics
As a Lab Rat, you have been hurt and terrorized by the terrible experiments of your former master. You have an natural fear of wizards, Sorcerers and Warlocks. While the nature of your past torture may provide insight into the arcane, you reel against your new magical nature, as you know it was forced upon you unnaturally.
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ve been isolated for so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt. |
| 2 | I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster. |
| 3 | I feel tremendous empathy for all who suffer. |
| 4 | I’m oblivious to etiquette and social expectations. |
| 5 | I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan. |
| 6 | I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Good. My new gifts are meant to be shared with all, not used for my own benefit. (Good) |
| 2 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Free Thinking. Inquiry and curiosity are the pillars of progress. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil) |
| 5 | Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Self-Knowledge. If you know yourself, there’s nothing left to know. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nothing is more important than my experiments and crafting. |
| 2 | I entered seclusion to hide from the ones who might still be hunting me. I must someday confront them. |
| 3 | I’m still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, and it still eludes me. |
| 4 | I entered seclusion because I fear my former master. |
| 5 | Should my discovery come to light, it could bring ruin to the world. |
| 6 | My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Now that I’ve returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much. |
| 2 | I harbor dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell. |
| 3 | I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy. |
| 4 | I let my need to win arguments overshadow friendships and harmony. |
| 5 | I’d risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge. |
| 6 | I like keeping secrets and won’t share them with anyone. |
This Lab Rat background assumes a fearful sort of seclusion, hiding from the evil master you have escaped, that allows room for study and prayer. If you want to play a rugged wilderness recluse who lives off the land while shunning the company of other people, look at the outlander background. On the other hand, if you want to go in a more religious direction, the acolyte might be what you’re looking for.
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