Seafarer

When you need to, you can secure passage on a ship for yourself and your adventuring companions in exchange for labour. You might run into the captain of a merchant ship that frequently does business with your community, or perhaps the ship is crewed by a large number of people from your place of origin who recognise you by your accent. You and your adventuring companions may have to change ships over a number of ports before reaching your destination. Your Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go.

Your childhood may have been spent trapping crustaceans in the slow-moving waters of a river delta, or being taught to fish with a line. You may have waited in the dark for a ship carrying a parent or a sweetheart, praying for their survival against the treacherous storms of an inland sea. You know the importance and the dangers of floodplains, and how the river that feeds a nation also kills its farmers.

Perhaps you are part of a small riverine community only accessible to the rare trader on a boat, or perhaps you grew up in a city of river canals known for its graceful, refined culture and delicious cuisine. As a youth, you may have recited poetry of waterbirds flying over sunlit water, or put to work to feed your struggling family as soon as you are able to throw a net. How did you come to leave this life behind?

Work with your Dungeon Master to customise the Seafarer background-specific tables to fit your character, or use the characteristics of another background if deemed appropriate (e.g. the Outlander).

If your character has a Seafarer or the variant Riverfolk background, you may select this background feature instead of Paying Your Way.

Your place of origin or the community you are part of has a certain... reputation. It may be about your community's practices and/or beliefs, or stories associated with your place of origin. Work with your Dungeon Master to decide how outlandish the reputation is, how far it has spread, and how it affects your interactions with others.

For example, port authorities may pull you aside for an interrogation, or the navy of a specific nation may treat the ship you are on with suspicion simply due to your presence or those from your community. When you are in a settlement, people may give you a wide berth, or single you out for attention.

Conversely, something about your community or place of origin may be a cause célèbre among a certain sub-set of society, such as academics. Your customs may be looked upon with favour, or your community may be seen as being particularly cultured or artistic. People you meet in coastal or riverine settlements may be more inclined to treat you with trust and/or generosity due to a reputation for honesty and fair play, whether deserved or not.