Sometime in your youth, you stumbled upon a mystical area in the wilderness and awakened an ancient primal spirit. It thanked you and gifted you with a beastial eye. It also asked if you wanted training (the following is optional, but fits better with the background). You accepted and he merged his spirit with your body. In part of your training, he changed you into an animal for long periods of time so you could understand more the struggles of creatures. As a result of being merged with the spirit, your physical appearance has changed to be more animal-like such as ears, tail, eyes, hair, and sometimes to the point where you could pass as a lycanthope or tabaxi. Your animal features do not have to stay the same. For example, you could have gone to bed one night looking more like a wolf and woke up having cat features. Because of this, people sometimes see you as a beast; a non thinking creature with no feelings. Also, your beastial eye grants you spells at certain levels.

This background works best for a Druid or Ranger, but you can be any class and still have this.

 

(P.S. This is an updated version of the original, making the spell list more balanced.)

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from: Perception, Animal handling, Investigation, Nature, Intimidation, or Survival.

Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit.

Languages: You gain one language of your choice, and the ability to communicate with small creatures, similar to how a forest gnome does.  

Equipment: Herbalism kit, A wooden staff (your choice of wood), Tattered travelers clothes, a trinket with nature or animal pictures, and a pouch containing 10 GP (the primal spirit gave you this for when you graduated to the second part of your training. Adventuring!).

Spell List

Starting at fith level, your beastial eye allows you to cast alter self once before having to take a short or long rest. Starting at 14th level, you can also cast the Polymorph spell, targeted on yourself, and regain the ability to do so after a number of short rests equal to the roll of a d4. At 17th level, you can cast the Polymorph spell as normal, but need to take a number of long rests to do so again equal to the roll of a d6. You can still cast both spells normally by expending a spell slot.

Spell Level	Spells
2nd	alter self
4th	polymorph

Suggested Characteristics

As have being in animal forms before adventuring, you may have animal behaviors, such as being attracted to catnip, preferring rare meat, or being in trees.

 

d8	Personality Trait
1	You prefer animals over people
2	I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups
3	I have a knack for finding secret things
4	I am fasinated by what has changed since I saw the modern world
5	You tend to be rude to people who enter your personal space.
6	You dispise people who destroy nature and are constantly making plans for how to have them "Say goodbye."
7	You pick things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes breaking them
8	You sometimes make animal noises when intimidated or scared

d6	Ideal
1	Loyal. I’ll protect who I love, at any cost. (Good)
2	Survival. Only the strong survive, so we must despose of the weak. (Evil)
3	No Rules. I don't care about the constructs of civilization. It can burn for all I care. (Chaotic)
4	Equlity. Everyone should be treated equaly, even animals and beasts. (Lawful)
5	Peace. I don't wish for any wars, i just want peace with everyone. (Neutral)
6	Beauty. Natural wonders are everywhere and I hope to keep them safe. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I will protect those whom I love
2	Nature is my home and I will protect it
3	I will not let down those who treat me normal
4	The animals of my home are the most important to me
5	I would protect my home with my life
6	I take pitty on those that are weak and helpless

d6	Flaw
1	I take pitty on Children and animals who do not have a home and who have been through hard times. This could snd up backfireing
2	You have a short temper
3	You can't stand nobles who only talk about themselves and their fortune
4	You fumble with your words in public
5	You are still not used to having hands and occasonally drop stuff
6	Often times, your natural insticts tell you to run from dander and abandon your comrads. And sometimes you do.