Fallen Noble

Your family once had wealth, power, and privilege. There was a time when you had a noble title that commanded respect, backed by the might of political or military influence, and you never had to worry about your purse running dry. You might have been the heir to the family, or the spoiled, much-loved younger child; or you might already have taken on the mantle passed down to you by the previous generation. Whether you were a member of a great house and second only to the ruling royal family, or a minor country lord far from the shining capital, your name meant something.

However, all this is in the past. Your family has been stripped of its title and power, and much of your wealth is gone. Your name now commands nothing except pity or derision. The doors to high society are closed to you, and the start of every week brings a fresh wave of letters from debtors and lawyers demanding (with varying levels of courtesy) one thing or the other. Your days are spent thinking up ways to survive, potentially while dealing - or not dealing - with grief.

Work with your DM to determine your former title and what brought it to ruin. You or the head of your family might have backed the wrong faction in court. Your country might have been destroyed or annexed in a war. Perhaps, on the other hand, it was a matter of gambling debts, or a legal dispute that could not be resolved. Consider whether your family's fall was sudden and cataclysmic, or whether it happened over a long period of time.

Consider also the extent of your family's remaining wealth and power. Can you still draw on certain privileges? Are you the only survivor, or do you have a family that might be dependent on you to keep them alive? Do you still use your title, or have you discarded everything about your family's past? Are you actively working towards the restoration of your family's status? Or are you content to retire to the margins of society?

Skill Proficiencies: Two of your choice from History, Intimidation, and Deception.

Tool Proficiencies: One of your choice from Calligrapher's Supplies and Painter's Supplies.

Languages: One of your choice.

Equipment: A set of traveler's clothes, a signet ring, and a pouch containing 15 gp.

Suggested Characteristics

Those who were born into wealth and status, only to lose everything later in life, may have wildly differing views on their lot in life depending on their specific history and circumstances. The change in their status in society and the loss of wealth they were once set to inherit may occupy their immediate concerns, or define their attitude towards life. It is often difficult for them to entirely let go of their noble upbringing even when it is to their detriment.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I may be down to my last coin and starving for days, but I'll never look anything less than my best.
2	The education I received shaped me into someone learned and erudite, and I won't let anyone forget it.
3	I am secretly relieved to no longer be reponsible for the obligations placed on me by my family.
4	I will always be bitter and resentful about the circumstances that led to the fall of my family.
5	I thought I knew what it meant to place myself on the same level as common folk, but I don't.
6	However harsh my circumstances, I can always find solace in the arts.
7	I am extremely selective about what I choose to share with the world, even with someone close to me.
8	I use my insider knowledge of the aristocracy to blackmail people for money, leverage, and other benefits.

d6	Ideal
1	Noblesse oblige. Titled or not, I still have a duty to protect the weak and seek justice for the afflicted. (Good)
2	Hierarchy. Everyone is obliged to uphold the basic tenets of our society, regardless of the circumstances. (Lawful)
3	Freedom. Nothing now restricts what I can do and who I can be. (Chaotic)
4	Retribution. I will crush all those who betrayed my family and water their lands with blood. (Evil)
5	Fate. The wheel of fortune turns; what was once ascendant will inevitably fall, and I will rise again. (Any)
6	Community. I still maintain a bond with the people formerly under my family's protection. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	I seek to honour my ancestors by my actions.
2	I was forced into an extortionate agreement in exchange for survival.
3	I was entrusted with something very important to my family. I will protect this legacy with my life.
4	The most important person in the world to me died because I was too weak to protect them. Never again.
5	I was given a second chance at life, and I won't waste it on the mistakes my family committed.
6	I am in love with someone I had to leave behind. One day I will be good enough to return to them.

d6	Flaw
1	I always step up to give orders, but I am completely unsuited to leadership roles.
2	My anger, once roused, cannot be appeased until I destroy everything. Including myself.
3	I have a weakness for flattery and praise, even when I suspect the words are false.
4	I spend every coin I can spare on worldly pleasures for a moment's respite from reality.
5	I react belligerently to criticisms (deserved or not) of my family.
6	Flaws? What flaws? I have none.