"Wow, that's a really cool lance! Does it... ...Does it do anything special?"
"No."
Strangely, your obsession with lances and jousting does not translate directly to proficiency with that martial weapon. However, your exercise and work with horses and other animals used in mounted combat has come with its own rewards. As to when and why you became obsessed with this large and unusual weapon, you may have been awestruck by a jousting tournament put on by a local noble, or you may have seen the tide of battle turned by a cavalry charge using lances and felt a respect and connection to this niche weapon. Some who take the Vow of the Lance are those who were cornered with nothing on hand to defend themselves with except for an unwieldly lance, and having one saved their life. In any of these cases, or any other, your fascination with the lance is the foundation of your background.
It is recommended to talk with your DM before taking the Vow of the Lance. Before you choose this background, understand that while it is mechanically consistent with other backgrounds, it is much less roleplay-friendly and coherent than other choices. Work with your DM as needed to determine if more details are required for roleplaying or storytelling.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Animal Handling
- Tool Proficiencies: From time spent ranging and maintaining saddled mounts, choose two from Cartographer's Tools, Leatherworker's Tools, Vehicles (Land).
- Equipment: A riding saddle marked with your initials or personal insignia, a set of saddlebags, a set of common clothes, and (of course) a lance.
Your work with lances and jousting allows you to walk the walk and talk the talk around knights and entertainers, as well as around jousting tournaments and other festivals. You have contacts among festival folk and can use these connections to . You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
You can always find a place to joust or work with jousting equipment and animals, usually at a festival or jousting tournament, but possibly with a circus, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you work or perform each day. In addition, your performance or service to entertainment makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed or worked, they typically take a liking to you.
Spell List
Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | witch bolt |
| 4th | raulothim's psychic lance |
An obsession with lances (and long pointy sticks in general) grants you an extremely minor expansion of your spell list, if you are a spellcaster. For you, the spells on the 'My OTHER Lance' table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them. This list is easily ignored or expanded (for instance, with such spells such as 'Acid Arrow' or 'Spiritual Weapon' - the weapon obviously being a lance) at DM discretion.
Suggested Characteristics
Just liking lances is a bit flat, eh? Suggested ideals, bonds, and flaws would most likely come from the soldier or gladiator background.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm secretly (or not-so-secretly) jealous of the serious and well-established backgrounds of others. |
| 2 | I'm actually terrified of horses, so I guess I'd better get good at using this thing (my lance) while unmounted. |
| 3 | Lances only need one hand when mounted. Is it a surprise that I have an OVERWHELMING urge to try to use any new creature that I see as a steed?? (Even extremely inappropriate creature types like humanoids or oozes.) |
| 4 | I was actually supposed to take a vow of SILENCE. I misheard or misunderstood, took the vow my 'my lance', and I'm here. |
| 5 | "No, I don't mind if you call me 'Lance'. It's a real name and one of my favourite things." |
| 6 | When in the presence of a trader, blacksmith, or leatherworker, I am constantly inquiring about a 'lance sheath' or 'pole scabbard' or other such unlikely equipment, often to the exasperation of that person. |
| 7 | I often refer to other weapons as forms of lance. (A greatclub might be a 'dull lance', a dagger might be a 'short stabby lance', a quarterstaff might be a 'headless lance, et cetera.) |
| 8 | i think that almost every disagreement could be settled by jousting, |
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