Child of the Wilderness

You grew up far from what most would recognize of civilization. Perhaps you led a nomadic life with your small family group, or lived in a small village or settlement hidden in the hills or a forest. Maybe you even grew up alone, abandoned or lost in the wilderness to survive on instinct alone or by the intervention of some spirit or deity. The wilderness is your home, and you are adept at travelling through and surviving in lands like those you grew in. 

Skill Proficiencies: You are proficient in Nature and Survival, and one other skill among the following: Acrobatics, Athletics, Animal Handling, Medicine.

Tool Proficiencies: Wilderness living requires ingenuity. You are proficient when using improvised tools or weapons. You can also use your Survival skill to practice bushcraft, making useful items out of things in your environments such as sticks, rocks, plant fibers, or animal pelts, or small objects you find such as strings or cloth. Make a Survival skill check to determine the quality of the item you have crafted. 

Languages: You know the language of the forest and can speak with the beasts that call it home, allowing you to interact with them much like you would any other person However, that doesn't always mean they have anything helpful to say or that they will trust you enough to say it.

A character with this background might struggle with one or more of the languages granted as a part of your race selection. For instance, if you have only recently come into contact with civilization outside of your own group, you may struggle to speak Common, or might not know it at all, and it is likely that your native dialect is has become quite different to the language it comes from. You can work with your DM to determine what this looks like for your character.

Equipment:  Along your travels, you have found a preferred object to use as a weapon. This might be a particularly large branch, a discarded rusty sword, or even a bag of rocks you can throw with skill. You might also have picked up some items from your environment that you can craft (or have crafted)  into useful forms. Discuss what these might be with your DM.

 

Suggested Characteristics

d6	Personality Trait
1	Growing up, strangers always meant trouble. Now I am surrounded by them, and I find it hard to trust anyone.
2	We had few personal boundaries in my close-knit kin group. I often forget that others don't like it when I stand too close or touch their shoulder or face unexpectedly.
3	The world is exciting and wonderous! I am insatiably curious about everything and everyone new.
4	I have my own ideas about what is and is not food. I sometimes find the eating habits of others either disgusting or overly particular, and they seem to feel similarly toward me.
5	I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
6	I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups.

d6	Ideal
1	Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
2	Community. While an individual can survive, a clan thrives. We must protect and support our kin, and trust them to do the same for us. (Lawful)
3	Curiosity. The world is full of new wonders, dangers, excitement, and mysteries. I want to find them all! (Any)
4	Empathy. No creature should be made to suffer. (Good)
5	Survival. The world is harsh, and those who are fit to survive will find a way to do so. If survival means taking from others or even killing them, so be it. That's just the way it is. (Evil)
6	Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others only causes trouble. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.
2	An injury to the unspoiled wilderness of my home is an injury to me.
3	I will bring terrible wrath down on the evildoers who destroyed my homeland.
4	I struggle to form connections with other sentient beings. We're just too different, and I just can't understand their ways no matter how I try (or I don't feel the need to learn how others think and feel).
5	I left my clan or tribe to protect them. I will never share their existence with outsiders.
6	I was taken far from my home by force or deception. No one here seems to know of my homeland or people. I sell my soul to find my way back to them.

d6	Flaw
1	I assume the worst in people. Strangers are always up to something.
2	I know much about the flora, fauna, and natural features similar those I know from home. I will excitedly to share this knowledge with others at the slightest inspiration, whether they want me to or not.
3	The ways of these strangers are no concern of mine. At best, I will ignore the customs and manners I find to be useless or stupid. At worst, I am openly judgmental of those who practice them.
4	I have little to no concept of personal property. If I want or need something, I take it.
5	I almost never turn or change course once I start down a path, even when it becomes clear that I probably should adjust my approach.
6	The world outside my home has many strange delights and vices. I tend to enjoy these a bit too much.