You come from a background of wealth and power, however through some harrowing event you have been torn away from your previous status and cast out into the world. As with the Noble background, work with your DM to establish who your family is: what status did they hold in your hometown? Were they the royal family, or a lesser family of nobles? Do they have a coat of arms? Were you next in line to become the head of house, or did you have an older sibling in line to rule?
Once you have your family sorted, think about the event that may have driven you from your home. Perhaps your family perished in a coup, and you managed to escape with your life? Maybe you were born of an affair, and were out-casted after being found out?
If you're having trouble thinking of an event, roll on the table below for some inspiration.
- Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Sleight of Hand
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set or one type of instrument
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of torn common clothes including a tattered cloak, a signet ring, a memento from your fall (a scar, a sealed note from a family member, a piece of broken jewelry, or a broken weapon used in the fall), and one trinket from any trinkets table (speak with your DM about what would best suit your character’s backstory)
Roll on this table for inspiration regarding the event of your fall from grace.
| d8 | The Fall |
|---|---|
| 1 | Not long before you were born, you were cursed by a hag that had crossed paths with your parents. As you grew, you began to show demonic traits and were exiled by your family. |
| 2 | You are the result of an affair between your noble parent and a common citizen. When the secret got out to your step-parent, you were disgraced and exiled. |
| 3 | Your family was dethroned in a coup lead by another house of nobles. Before you were to be executed, an ally still loyal to your family helped you escape. |
| 4 | You had an affair with a noble from an enemy of your house, resulting in a child. To protect your lover and child, you exiled yourself and fled with them to life as a commoner. |
| 5 | You come from a family of powerful sorcerers, but showed no innate magic power of your own. Suspecting you may not truly be of pure noble blood, your grandparent attempted to have you assassinated. |
| 6 | Your family is not well liked by the commoners, and rule over your home city as tyrants. Unwilling to follow in their footsteps, you tried to stand up for your people and were exiled as a result. |
| 7 | You and your twin were both in line to take over as head of house, but only one of you could rule. A few days before your eighteenth birthday, your twin framed you for a heinous crime that resulted in your being chased out of the city. |
| 8 | A trusted friend of your parents framed your family for conspiring against the royal family of your country in order to seize your house. You managed to escape, but your family remains behind bars. |
Despite your fall from grace, you have retained knowledge of royal etiquette and politics, and have the ability to use this knowledge to your advantage when dealing with nobility. At times you may even be able to use your previous family name to sway noble affairs in your favor. At the same time, you have the means to stay under the radar, including one or more contacts that connects you to the criminal underworld. Your contact can help gather information, or retrieve a needed item. For a fee, of course.
Suggested Characteristics
As a fallen noble, you may have a vendetta against those who exiled you, or your personality may be geared towards survival more than revenge.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | After living among the common folk I've grown to question the nobility I once coveted. |
| 2 | As far as I'm concerned, the person I once was is dead. My survival means more to me than a title. |
| 3 | I can't help but miss the niceties of the noble life. I don't think I could ever get used to life on the streets. |
| 4 | Living on the streets has given me a new perspective on life, and I'm not sure I could ever go back to the pampered life of a noble. |
| 5 | My life has boiled down to one purpose: take revenge on the ones who wronged me. |
| 6 | I was once a snob that looked down on the common folk. Now, having fallen to their status, I find myself ashamed of the way I treated my people. |
| 7 | I horde any food I can get my hands on. |
| 8 | I refuse to turn my back on anyone, if I can help it. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Survival. A person's life is the most precious thing they have, and it must be protected at all costs. (Good) |
| 2 | Revenge. I will have my revenge on those that wronged me. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Respect. I've learned that respect is due regardless of status, but is also earned. (Good) |
| 4 | Anonymity. The less people that know I exist the better, I must stay under the radar. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Power. It is my birthright to hold power, and I will not stop until it is mine once again. (Evil) |
| 6 | Justice. Those who wronged me have harmed my people, and it is my duty to bring justice to the ones responsible. (Lawful) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My life is more precious to me than anything in this world. |
| 2 | I must expose the lies that toppled my family name. |
| 3 | I was abandoned by my family in my time of need. I will find a new family and discard my old name. |
| 4 | I've learned how horribly my family treated the common folk, and I strive to take down any that would look down on others. |
| 5 | I exiled myself of my own volition to protect someone I love. |
| 6 | I have no interest in being a hero, I simply want my life back. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I trust no one, especially those who are kind. |
| 2 | I have no street smarts and am often victimized because of it. |
| 3 | I swipe any loose coin I see. If they didn't want it taken, it wouldn't have been dropped. |
| 4 | I am being hunted. I cannot form bonds with others, else I drag them into my struggle. |
| 5 | Revenge is my top priority, and this often clouds my judgement. |
| 6 | I am hopelessly dependent, having hardly lifted a finger for myself in my time as a noble. |
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