Pit Fighter

Like a Gladiator, you have spent many a year of your life fighting in an arena for the spectacle and entertainment of crowds or nobles. Unlike the flashy sport combat practiced by Gladiators, however, you did not have any choice in being thrust into repeated life-or-death scraps. Perhaps you were a slave taken by an underground fighting ring, or a prisoner of an enemy nation sentenced to fight for your life and freedom, or you angered the wrong noble and were dragged off and forced to participate in brutal bloodsport. Regardless of the precise circumstances, you somehow managed to break out of the cycle - maybe you fulfilled some obligation to the ring masters to win a certain number of fights, or perhaps the entire operation was broken up, or possibly you found the right moment to break your shackles and flee.

When choosing this background, consider the particular situation you found yourself in, and whether or not there may be any ties to an ongoing organization or faction within the world. If so, work with your DM to figure out exactly what that organization was, and what sort of role it might play in your future, particularly considering how you managed to get out.

 

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, or Survival.

Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set

Languages: Undercommon

Equipment: A pair of manacles or a simple melee weapon, a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp

Suggested Characteristics

The horrifying conditions imposed upon the typical pit fighter leave deep mental and emotional marks. Living generally as prisoners in addition to the brutality they face on a regular basis, they tend to have personality traits and ideals that are pushed to the extremes, and often feel deep hatred or desire for vengeance. Situations vary greatly, however - some live isolated and escape on their own, while others rise up alongside their fellow fighters. Consider your particular background when selecting traits. If rolling randomly, it is suggested to re-roll characteristics that seem to be in direct conflict (for example, having characteristics that suggest you bonded together with your fellow fighters to help each other survive, while also having characteristics that suggest you lived only for yourself and had little connection to fellow fighters).

d8	Personality Trait
1	I tend to be curt. Talking between fighters in the pits was rare, and it was vital to keep any conversations short to avoid eavesdropping.
2	I’m haunted by the gruesome memories of endless death in the pits. I can sometimes still hear the screams of the dying.
3	I'm always on alert. Most of the dying happened in the pit, but the cells were far from a safe haven.
4	I can analyze a situation in moments and take action without hesitation.
5	I have stared death in the face more times than I can count. No man or monster scares me any longer.
6	I know my own strength and I'm not afraid to confront someone I think I can intimidate.
7	Staying sane in the pits required adapting to a certain mindset. As a result I have an incredibly dark sense of humor.
8	I am no stranger to making tough decisions, being forced into many during my time in the pits.

d6	Ideal
1	Liberation. I have made it my mission to seek out and liberate those who may find themselves in a similar situation to where I came from. (Good)
2	Honor. If I allow myself to live dishonorably, I may as well have never escaped the pits. (Lawful)
3	Decisiveness. Sometimes, those with authority are either blind, ignorant, or corrupt, and we must take action into our own hands. (Chaotic)
4	Power. In the pits only the strongest survived. I must ensure I continue to be the strongest at any cost. (Evil)
5	People. There will always be good and evil, but the people around us are what is worth living - and fighting - for. (Neutral)
6	Finality. Everyone dies. It is important to leave a mark along the way. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	Getting close to others just means suffering more when they inevitably pass.
2	The only way anyone survived the pits was by banding together. I approach adventuring with a similar mindset.
3	It has been so long since I had any allies that I am unsure how to allow myself to trust again.
4	I will never forgive the bastards who forced me to fight in the pits. I swear I will bring them down or die trying.
5	Fighting alongside someone other than myself is invigorating, and I would do anything to keep them with me.
6	I fight for every man and woman that failed to make it out of the pits with me, to ensure their sacrifices were not in vain.

d6	Flaw
1	I'm terribly afraid of being trapped again. I feel uneasy in enclosed spaces or cramped quarters and dread the sight of a cell.
2	I have little respect for those who have lived lives of comfort. I see them as being weak.
3	I abandoned those who were trapped alongside me, and I would do it again if it meant saving myself.
4	I have been conditioned to show no mercy or hesitation. I have a hard time seeing a peaceful path out of a confrontation.
5	I am always on edge. The constant fear of being selected for the next fight at any moment has never left me.
6	The pits were every man for themselves. To this day I have difficulty sharing and often mistrust others who would offer help when nothing is obviously in it for them.