In your youth, you had encounters with many monsters. These encounters left you traumatized, but after winning a particularly terrifying fight, you realized you had the strength to overcome them. You sought out and discovered an order of monster hunters who took you in and, through evil rituals, inducted you into their kind. Your mission is to seek and destroy the evil beasts that plague your homeland and beyond.
When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine which order you were inducted in, how far through its ranks you progressed, and what kind of experiences you had during your career. Were you sent of missions, station to defend small villages, or tasked with escorting high-paying individuals through dark forests.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
- Equipment: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen monster (a large tooth, broken horn, or piece of a hide), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
During your time as a hunter, you had a specific role to play in the order. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role:
| d8 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Officer |
| 2 | Scout |
| 3 | Infantry |
| 4 | Cavalry |
| 5 | Healer |
| 6 | Quartermaster |
| 7 | Standard bearer |
| 8 | Support staff (cook, blacksmith, or the like) |
You have a hunter rank from your career as a monster hunter. Hunters loyal to your former order still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other hunters and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly hunter encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
Suggested Characteristics
The horrors of your hunts combined with the rigid discipline of your order leave their mark on all hunters, twisting their minds, causing hallucinations, and often leaving them twisted and isolated from typical life.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m always polite and respectful. |
| 2 | I’m haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind. |
| 3 | I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones. |
| 4 | I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. |
| 5 | I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. |
| 6 | I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. |
| 7 | I have a crude sense of humor. |
| 8 | I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others. (Good) |
| 2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil) |
| 5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I would still lay down my life for the people I served with. |
| 2 | Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. |
| 3 | My honor is my life. |
| 4 | I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. |
| 5 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. |
| 6 | I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. |
| 2 | I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior. |
| 3 | I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. |
| 4 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. |
| 5 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. |
| 6 | I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong. |
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