You grew up in war-torn ruins, or perhaps in the ruins of a city that has crossed into the Abyss or some other hostile realm. You and a few other scavengers have banded together to stay hidden and avoid the predators that dwell and hunt in the ruins. You are innovative and tenacious in your ability to locate food, water, and a semblance of shelter. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each. In addition, you have learned the value of allies that can support each other from dangerous threats.
You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life?
- Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth
- Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A wooden case containing a map of the ruined city your grew up in, a bullseye lantern, a set of common clothes, a crowbar, a trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing 10 gp
You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.
Suggested Characteristics
Scavengers are shaped by lives of desperation, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to their fellow survivors in the ruins or by a burning desire to escape — and maybe get some payback on those that destroyed their community.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. |
| 2 | I have no qualms about stealing from the dead. |
| 3 | I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me. |
| 4 | I sleep with my back to a wall or tree, with everything I own wrapped in a bundle in my arms. |
| 5 | I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. |
| 6 | Traps don’t make me nervous. Idiots who trigger traps make me nervous. |
| 7 | I might fail, but I will never give up. |
| 8 | I bluntly say what other people are hinting at or hiding. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. All people, rich or poor, deserve respect. (Good) |
| 2 | Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Death Wish. Nothing is more exhilarating than a narrow escape from the jaws of death. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I help the people who help me — that’s what keeps us alive. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Resilience. I have seen hardship and that has given me to the fortitude to press on. |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My town or city is my home, and I’ll fight to defend it. |
| 2 | I have a family, but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again. |
| 3 | I owe my survival to another scavenger who taught me to live in the ruins. |
| 4 | I protect those who cannot protect themselves. |
| 5 | I robbed another survivor and I live with the gilt that I put them in greater danger. |
| 6 | No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | If I’m outnumbered, I will run away from a fight. |
| 2 | The monstrous enemies that destroyed our city still leaves me quivering with fear. |
| 3 | I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. |
| 4 | I am slow to trust members of other races, tribes, and societies. |
| 5 | It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else. |
| 6 | People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve. |
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