Landowner

You have been born into a family that owns land, flourishes in trade, and wields some measure of political or mercantile influence. You might be honest and hardworking or greedy and corrupt. Perhaps you care deeply about those who work on your land and are keenly aware of your responsibility to them. Or perhaps you prefer the shackle and whip, the firm hand that brooks no challenge to its authority.

Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate title or holding and then determine how much authority that title carries and what responsibility it carries with it. A landed title doesn’t stand on its own—it’s connected to an entire family and their various mercantile interests. Not only do you need to determine your noble title, but you should also work with the DM to describe your family and their influence on you.

Is your family old and established, was your land only recently acquired or are you still in the process of staking your territory and interests? How much influence do they wield, and over what areas? What kind of reputation does your family have among the other plutocrats of the region? How do the common people regard them?

What’s your position in the family? Are you the heir to the head of the family? Have you already inherited the title? How do you feel about that responsibility? Or are you so far down the line of inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don’t embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or shunned by them?

Does your family have a coat of arms? An insignia you might wear on a signet ring? Particular colors you wear all the time? An animal you regard as a symbol of your line or even a spiritual member of the family?

These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign.

Skill Proficiencies: Any two of Animal Handling, History, Nature, Persuasion, Insight, Investigation

Languages: Two of your choice

Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Use the tables below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a member of an influential landowning family.

Like other landowners, you were born and raised in a different world from the one that most folk know—one that grants you privilege but also calls you to fulfill a duty befitting your station. Your bond might be associated with your family alone, or it could be concerned with another house that sides with or opposes your own. Your ideal depends to some extent on how you view your role in the family, and how you intend to conduct yourself in the world at large as a representative of your house.

d8	Personality Trait
1	My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.
2	The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity.
3	No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.
4	I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions.
5	I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.
6	Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.
7	My favor, once lost, is lost forever.
8	If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.

d6	Ideal
1	Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)
2	Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)
3	Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
4	Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
5	Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)
6	Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good)

d6	Bond
1	I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.
2	My house’s alliance with another wealthy family must be sustained at all costs.
3	I pursue wealth to secure someone’s love.
4	I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.
5	Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.
6	The common folk must see me as a hero of the people.

d6	Flaw
1	I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
2	I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.
3	I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I’m quick to anger.
4	I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
5	In fact, the world does revolve around me.
6	By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.