You have spent most of your recent life as a slave, imprisoned and forced to obey the whims of slavers and scum. Maybe you were born into it, a child of enslaved parents, or perhaps you were taken by raiders. Either way, your life was suffering and squalor and violence. Beaten and abused, you were kept down by the boot heel of your 'masters'. But the day came for you to make your escape; perhaps you snuck out when the opportunity was right, or were part of a slave rebellion. Either way you now have your freedom, but the effects of what you endured still linger.
You might have been a victim of Drow raiders, or born into a Duergar forge prison. This time shaped you, changed you, and you're different from most other people. You might react more aggressively to conflict situation, an instinct born out of necessity. Or perhaps you're much more deferant to authority figures, a habit that's hard to shake from when your masters would beat you for the slightest failing, real or imagined.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools
- Languages: Undercommon and any one of your choice
- Equipment: An explorer's pack, one set of artisan’s tools, a small trinket as a reminder of your past, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp
Your time serving as a slave granted you a uniquely intimate insight into the goings on of the culture of your masters. You saw them at their most base, most unabashed and self-indulgent. Working with your DM, choose a race, culture, society or social group who would have been your slavers. You have advantage on Insight, History and Religion checks pertaining to your former masters.
Suggested Characteristics
Your experiences as a former slave have deeply impacted your personality, shaping how you interact with others and perceive the world around you. Life under cruel masters has taught you harsh lessons—survival, resilience, and the complexities of freedom. Though you’ve gained your independence, the scars of your past remain, influencing your thoughts, behaviors, and reactions. Some former slaves carry anger and defiance, while others remain haunted by fear, finding it difficult to trust others or to accept their newfound freedom fully.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I still prefer to sleep on the floor, even when a soft bed is available. |
| 2 | I hoard everything I'm ever given, I'm not used to having possessions. |
| 3 | I am incredibly obedient (or disobedient) of authority figures, a legacy from when failure to comply would be met with the whip, or worse. |
| 4 | I still wince at the light and struggle going around outside, after so long being locked up underground. |
| 5 | I have poor social skills from not being allowed to talk for so long. |
| 6 | I am enamoured with material wealth; I've gone so long with out it, I need to make up for lost time. |
| 7 | I still wear the broken shackles from my time as a slave. I feel strange without them. |
| 8 | I love being outside, under the open sky. I've been in enclosed spaces too long. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom. My desire is to break the chains oppression in any form and destroy it. (Good) |
| 2 | Retribution. I will seek out and slay those that would enslave others. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Righteousness. Slavery is an affront to the laws of gods and people, and I will crush it in all its forms. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Exploration. I have missed so much of the world and I want to make up for time lost. (Any) |
| 5 | Friendship. I have a friend I was enslaved with who I want to find, if they're still alive. (Good) |
| 6 | Disruption. I have seen the tyranny of laws and want to shake things up. (Chaotic) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will die for those who would fight alongside me and risk their lives for mine. |
| 2 | There is a town out there that I (or my parents) once called home and I will do whatever I can to find it. |
| 3 | There are still people out there in shackles that need breaking. |
| 4 | I've lost my real family, but my friends are my new family. |
| 5 | Ive finally found a home and I will fight to my last breath to keep it. |
| 6 | My freedom is worth more to me than any coin. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm distrustful of any kind of authority figure, it was authority that kept me in chains. |
| 2 | Settling arguments through violence is the only way I know how. |
| 3 | Sharing doesn't come naturally to me, you take what you can to survive. |
| 4 | I do not trust anyone who likes like they might have some connection to my slavers, no matter how distant or tangental. |
| 5 | Allies and friends are fleeting, especially when the chips are down. I can only count on myself. |
| 6 | I don't trust anyone who I think has had an easy life. |
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