People describe you as an enthusiastic writer and actor. You perform the stories you tell to any and all who are willing to lend an ear. From harsh deserts to frigid mountain peaks, you have traveled the land in search of new myths and fables. Maybe you have settled in a bustling city, lingering in the taverns and collecting stories. Perhaps you have recorded your fill of second-hand tales and want to write your own. You value stories and the power they hold, using them to sway your audience to tears or laughter. Storytellers are nomadic in nature, moving from place to place to gather information. They value preserving knowledge and passing it on to those around them. Chronicler and performer all in one, they have a knack for enthralling their audience and getting people to talk to them.
As within any protagonist's tale, the magic is in the details. Are you an enigmatic fireside story weaver or a crazy street corner preacher? Are you a court gossip monger or a spy spreading propaganda though foreign lands? What inspires the subject of your stories, and do you add a personal twist? Is there a cause you're furthering with your stories? (social, religious, political, monetary, fame, etc.) And lastly, why did you choose to join this group of adventurer?
Regardless of what drew you into this life, there is one thing for certain: there is always story to be told.
- Skill Proficiencies: Storytellers are natural performers, chroniclers, and social people. Therefore, you have proficiency in two of the following: Performance, Persuasion, Deception, Insight, History, or Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Tools, another set of Artisan Tools of your choice, and one musical instrument.
- Equipment: Calligrapher's Supplies and another set of Artisan Supplies of your choice, a musical instrument, a thick book of compiled stories, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 15 GP.
Your travels had to start somewhere, a place that sparked your love of stories and the hunger to know more. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that wrote your tale's beginning.
| d8 | Defining Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | You spent time in the Feywild, learning the tales of their kind. |
| 2 | You joined a group of archaeologists, studying the ruins of an ancient civilization. |
| 3 | You have visited temples around the world, recording the stories of the many gods. |
| 4 | You've lingered in inns and taverns, collecting local songs and folklore. |
| 5 | You have spent years at sea, learning sea shanties and superstitions. |
| 6 | You were raised on fairy tales and had the desire for more instilled in you from a young age. |
| 7 | You traveled the desert, joining caravans and collecting their traveling tales. |
| 8 | You have lingered in back alleys, gleaning criminal tales and haunted stories. |
Given your history of travel, your tales have reached lands far and wide such that you are well received by most groups from noble courts to back alley gambling dens (unless your stories insult them of course). As long as you do not appear dangerous or pose a threat, most nobles, in-keepers, and fellow traveling parties are happy to offer you a place to stay for the night, assuming you can give them and their guests a story to two as you all sit about the fire. Additionally, they will not sell you out unless heavily threatened.
Suggested Characteristics
A storyteller puts the desire of recording and sharing their tales above all else. Much like a chronicler, you seek out knowledge to preserve, yet you also find joy in spinning these tales for others and have a knack for doing it well. You put on charming shows, endearing people to you and earning your keep with the many groups you travel with by keeping morale bolstered.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I only perform after a drink due stage fright. |
| 2 | I am always looking for the next tale, never staying long in one place. |
| 3 | If someone is in trouble, I’m always ready to lend help. |
| 4 | I never write my stories down; I only go from memory. |
| 5 | I’m confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others. |
| 6 | I get bored easily, flocking to the next tale that catches my eye. |
| 7 | When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way. |
| 8 | I love putting on a show, no matter the situation. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Joy. Life can be a mixed bag, but my stories bring easy smiles. (Good) |
| 2 | Creativity. I will tell the most entertaining stories, regardless of facts. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Power. Knowledge is power and I will convince them of MY truth and what I know. (Evil) |
| 4 | Sincerity. I am my stories, there is no point to pretending otherwise. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Though I tell many stories, my thoughts are never far from home. Families often have the best stories. |
| 2 | I work for the kingdom's library, collecting information for the archives. |
| 3 | I love my fans. Without them I am nothing, so I strive to entertain them. |
| 4 | I love my book of stories more than anything. I cant imagine losing it. |
| 5 | Those who enjoy a good story tend to become my closest friends. |
| 6 | The subject of my stories is all I care about. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | My stories ramble and I'm often asked to get to the point. |
| 2 | I refuse to tell the same story twice, no matter how popular some are OR I only tell the one story no matter how unpopular it is. |
| 3 | All I care about is getting the best stories, I dont care if I hurt people or their feelings to get it. |
| 4 | I am enthralled by my own stories and sometimes confuse what is real with what is fiction. |
| 5 | If you have no story for me, I have no time for you. |
| 6 | I’m convinced of the significance of my tales, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure. |
Your tales have reached lands far and wide, for all the wrong reasons. You're poorly received by most groups from noble courts to back alley gambling dens, nobody wants to hear your stories. Perhaps you're controversial or revolutionary? That being said, if you stand on a street corner and scream out your tales to anyone who will listen, you are somehow able to find into a fan that can help you, or at least willing to put you up for the night.
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