You are a trained artiste, a role that you take very seriously. If only everyone saw your genius and talent, but there are oh so many plebians in the world! And ever since you reached out to that dark force, that old god, that cunning devil...your creative vision has never been more palpable. Since then, you are constantly seized by creative insight, and must act on your artistic calling whenever it tugs at you. After all, art is long, life is short, and your soul is due eventually.
- Skill Proficiencies: Performance, Perception
- Tool Proficiencies: Any set of artisan's tools that most closely matches your vocation, and one musical instrument.
- Languages: Abyssal, Deep Speech, or Infernal
- Equipment: Any artisan’s tools and musical instrument of your choice, a set of fine clothes, a work in progress, and a pouch containing 5GP
Your vocation is your soul, your voice, your gift to the world. Choose your own artistic endeavor or use the table below.
| d10 | Vocation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eerily lifelike automatons with basic human functions, such as movement and speech. |
| 2 | Horrific orchestral compositions that promise to foretell the end of days. |
| 3 | Painted portraits of people who never existed, but who seem all too familiar. |
| 4 | Gorgeous marble sculptures depicting scenes of the afterlife with alarming clarity. |
| 5 | Haunting poems that bring a cold chill whenever they are read aloud. |
| 6 | Beautiful jewelry made of the highest quality metals and gemstones. Oh, and blood. |
| 7 | The most exquisite culinary dishes, created from ingredients not of this realm. |
| 8 | The finest gowns and robes fit for royalty. And made from previous customers. |
| 9 | A single novel that has driven wise men to madness trying to understand it. |
| 10 | You are a thespian of the stage, whose performances can enchant. Literally. |
You are well known in artistic circles because of your creative achievements, and have been featured in galleries, salons, concert halls, museums, etc. wherever applicable. The people who move in these circles know of you; some admire and look up to you, while others consider you a hack, raving lunatic, or even a rival.
Additionally, you have a keen eye or ear for the arts, and have advantage on skill checks used to discern aspects of art, such as forgery, type of material used, origin of a piece of music, etc.
Suggested Characteristics
Your art is your lifeblood, your identity! For better or worse. Whether you're an eccentric hermit or an extroverted socialite, your vocation is an integral part of your life and personality. Likewise, your work is well known in cosmopolitan cities and possibly even smaller towns, so consider how you might handle the burden of fame.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I often get so intensely gripped by my work that I can go days without eating or sleeping. |
| 2 | I am quiet and thoughtful; my creative process is slow and meticulous. |
| 3 | The world has to know of my genius and I will scream it from the rooftops if I have to! |
| 4 | I am desperate for others' approval and admiration. |
| 5 | My art is how I communicate with the world, so I rarely talk of anything else. |
| 6 | I'm only in it for the money and/or fame. |
| 7 | I am a perfectionist in every sense of the word. |
| 8 | I have impostor syndrome despite my success, and am often down on myself. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe I was born gifted, and want to share that gift with others. (Good) |
| 2 | I have a physical urge to create, and I am simply following that urge. (Neutral) |
| 3 | Art is a way to control people and alter their realities. (Evil) |
| 4 | I believe that art is a commodity, and I am simply making a living. (Lawful) |
| 5 | I create art in pursuit of a higher purpose, calling, or understanding. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Don't tell my clients this, but I have no clue what I'm doing. (Chaotic) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I sold something very valuable to me to a dark force in exchange for my talent and fame. |
| 2 | I am part of an artist collective; these people are my true family. |
| 3 | I work alone and never let anyone see my process. |
| 4 | My mentor taught me everything I know. Their death was a horrible "accident." |
| 5 | When someone finally understands my work, I will know they are the one. |
| 6 | My art has cost me everything and everyone in my life. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm a fraud, and fear the day my secret is revealed. |
| 2 | I am intensely jealous of others' success, and have to exercise restraint not to sabotage my rivals. |
| 3 | My creative process is all-consuming. I feel like I'm not truly living. |
| 4 | All of my work is plagiarized/stolen from a dead person. Their spirit currently haunts me. |
| 5 | I see the common rabble as being beneath me and my talents. |
| 6 | I love art. My art doesn't love me. |
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