Catastrophes occur from time to time, people endure them, rebuild and keep moving forward. But that’s not the case for you. It might have been your tribe, town or even country. But that doesn’t matter now, because as far as you know, you’re all that’s left.
- Skill Proficiencies: You gain Survival and choose one from among Investigation, History, Stealth, and Athletics.
- Tool Proficiencies: None.
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A piece of fabric with a symbol that used to represent your kin, a set of traveler’s clothes, a tent, a bedroll, a donkey (DM’s discretion), one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) and a belt pouch containing 2 GP.
It might have been a long time ago or just recently, but a great catastrophe has changed your life forever, leaving you alone in this world. Now you wander the world without a place to belong to, marked by the tragedy that befalls your people. Choose a catastrophe you lived through or roll one on the Catastrophe table.
| d12 | Life-Changing Catastrophe |
|---|---|
| 1 | An ancient evil awoke and destroyed the place where I used to live (like a dragon, demon or some other creature). |
| 2 | Some kind of disease or plague ended the life of my people. |
| 3 | A magical dissaster killed everyone within miles and miles. |
| 4 | A long-dormant volcano suddenly erupted destroying everything in its vicinity. |
| 5 | The sea rose up and engulfed the land. |
| 6 | The earth split open and most of the city fell through the giant cracks. |
| 7 | Creatures of the night swarmed the city and killed everyone. |
| 8 | A heavenly light fell upon the city, burning it to the ground. |
| 9 | Every weapon in the city came to life and began attacking people. |
| 10 | Zombies! |
| 11 | I don’t know what happened. All that was left was a giant hole in the ground. |
| 12 | Everyone was gone when I woke up one morning. |
Most people avoid you as if they could sense the tragedy you lived through and fear that the same fate would fall onto them. But you’ve learned to use this as an advantage, manipulating bystanders into leaving you and your group alone.
Whenever you are in a public setting, you may behave in such a way that most people not directly interacting with you will feel uncomfortable with your presence and either leave or give you some space.
Alternatively to this background’s feature, you can choose the Heart of Darkness feature from the Haunted One background.
Suggested Characteristics
Most people don't just leave their home to become an adventurer, but as we have established, you're not like most people. In fact, you're not like any other. You might not be the sole member of your race, but you most definitely are the only one that survived that great catastrophe.
It wasn't your choice to leave your home; it was taken from you. As such, you might have been reluctant at first to go on an adventure.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I didn’t care about my people before the catastrophe and I don’t care about them now. |
| 2 | I feel responsible for what happened. I can't stop thinking about it or how it could have been different. |
| 3 | To be honest, I feel as if the end of my people was a new start for me. |
| 4 | IT WAS I! I did it! And I would do it again! |
| 5 | I’m always telling stories of my past life and the ones I’ve lost. |
| 6 | Since the tragedy, I’m overprotective of the few friends I have. |
| 7 | I believe what happened was meant to happen and I’m ashamed whenever someone recognizes me as one of my kin. |
| 8 | I’m clearly the chosen one and my survival is proof of that. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prevention. I’ll do everything I can to prevent what happened to me from happening to other people. |
| 2 | Vengeance. I know exactly who’s to blame for what happened and I plan to get my revenge. |
| 3 | Preservation. My people’s knowledge, wisdom, and traditions can’t disappear with them; I'll be the one to carry on their legacy. |
| 4 | Understanding. While I know what happened better than anyone, I still don’t understand why. I won’t rest until I do. |
| 5 | Debt. Someone gave their life to save me, now it's my turn to pay it forward. |
| 6 | Desire. I know that I can somehow obtain the power that caused that great catastrophe, and when I do, no one will stand in my way. |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My family was all that mattered to me. Their memory is all I have left. |
| 2 | I know I can still prevent what happened from ever happening. I just need some way to travel back in time... |
| 3 | I carry with me the ashes of someone very dear to me. |
| 4 | There’s no way I’m the only one that survived. I must find others. |
| 5 | All I have left now is my faith for my deity. |
| 6 | I still go back to the place where it happened. It helps me move forward. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | People tell me of a great catastrophe, but I can’t recall any of it. |
| 2 | I can’t sleep at night thinking of the horrors I lived through, so I spend most of the day dozing off. |
| 3 | I just can’t stand the silence. It makes me want to scream! |
| 4 | I never felt more alive than when everyone was dying around me. |
| 5 | Since the incident, I freeze whenever I’m close to danger. |
| 6 | If I’m unconscious, I can’t think about what happened. So, I fight a lot. |
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