You are haunted by something so terrible that you are compelled to write least you suffer madness. You’ve tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can’t be slain with a sword or banished with a spell, your only respite is through words written on pages. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. Yet, you are drawn the darkness and your writings reflect the haunting magnetism in your eyes.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Arcana, History, Religion, or Insight
- Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)
- Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, an unfinished work, a set of common clothes, and one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Gothic Trinkets table after this background).
Writing Style
You feel a darkness threatening to consume you, and you fear there may be no hope of escape. Your only respite is through writing; use the table below to choose your method of madness.
| d6 |
Writing Style |
|
1
|
Fiction
|
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2
|
Playwright
|
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3
|
Poetry
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4
|
Descriptive/Academic
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5
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Non-Fiction
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6
|
Journalism
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Feature: Mind of Darkness
Those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. Though they might fear you and try to discern who you are, no one can divine your thoughts or intentions. As a writer you put yourself in the shoes of your characters often, increasing your ability to do so with people in the flesh. If you have spent a few minutes conversing with an individual you gain advantage on persuasion and insight checks and they gain disadvantage on insight checks towards you. Your DM might rule that the individual is incredibly closed off or particularly perceptive, requiring a successful insight or deception check prior to using this feature.
Suggested Characteristics
You have learned to live with the terrors that haunt you, you've even named a few of them. Writers lean heavily on the trappings of a good story, you lean heavily on your own nightmares. You are a thrill seeker and get bored at the slightest hint of normalcy and peace, always seeking inspiration for your next piece to keep the madness at bay.
| d8 |
Personality Trait |
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1
|
I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me.
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2
|
I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness.
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3
|
I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
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4
|
People bore me... give me a good book any day.
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5
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I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. It belongs to me and me alone.
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6
|
I expect danger around every corner.
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7
|
I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized.
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8
|
I put no trust in divine beings.
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| d6 |
Ideal |
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1
|
Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
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2
|
I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any)
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3
|
I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good)
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4
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I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic)
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5
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Truth. The truth should ring free no matter the consequences. (Lawful)
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6
|
Deception. Words have a way of invoking emotion, obscuring truth, and challenging what we hold dear. (Evil)
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| d6 |
Bond |
|
1
|
I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy.
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2
|
I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent.
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3
|
My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I’ve lost.
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4
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A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions.
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5
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There’s evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free.
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6
|
I seek adventure to find the inspiration to finish my current book. This will be my masterpiece.
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| d6 |
Flaw |
|
1
|
I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them.
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2
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I assume the worst in people.
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3
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I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones.
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4
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I spend a great deal of time editing myself, trying to find the best words to use.
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5
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I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope.
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6
|
I constantly stop what I am doing to write down information or thoughts for my latest work.
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