Farmer (Revised 2024 Version)

You grew up on a plot of land that your family tended, and your formative years were spent raising animals and cultivating crops. All the time you've spent learning to work the land has rewarded you with patience and tenacity. You understand all the ways that nature's bounty can sustain a soul, but you also know that its wrath can destroy lives and livelihoods in an instant. Perhaps such a moment of unluckiness was what caused you to set aside your farming tools and take up the life of an adventurer, or perhaps your wanderlust began to make you see your farmland as a weight keeping you stuck in place. Whatever the reason, you have left your own plot of soil behind to seek adventure in the wider world.

Work with your DM to determine what sort of life your character led as a farmer and why they've gone from tilling the land to exploring it. People associate farmers with poor, humble origins, but that is not always the case. What kind of family your character was born into? Were they wealthy enough to own the land they farmed? If so, was it many acres or just a simple patch of dirt? If the land was not theirs, who did it belong to? Is your character the only one responsible for the upkeep of their farm, or did they have fellow laborers to assist them? Consider your character's geographic origin and the type of climate they grew up in. What kind of crops or livestock did they raise on their farm? Most importantly, why has your character left their farm? Did they do so willingly? Would it be possible for them to return there, or has the farm somehow been destroyed or taken away from them? Does your character miss the farm, or are they glad to have left it behind?

Ability Scores: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom

Feat: Choose one feat from the Origin Feat list that you feel is appropriate for your character. Tough is recommended.

Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling and Nature

Tool Proficiencies: Carpenter's Tools or Cook's Utensils

Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Tools of your chosen proficiency, Sickle, Healer's Kit, Iron Pot, Shovel, Traveler's Clothes, an assortment of seeds, 30 GP; or (B) 50 GP

Suggested Characteristics

The life of a farmer requires strength, patience and a keen understanding of the land beneath your feet. Those who put down roots on a farm often do so because they feel connected to the natural world and value a peaceful, isolated life of routine over the hustle and bustle of a large urban community. Their traditional lifestyle and rustic mannerisms might confound or draw disdain from city folk, but they are proud of the home they have cultivated, and they possess valuable wisdom and insight gathered from years of toiling in the dirt.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I wake up before the sunrise each morning to make the most of my day.
2	I often find animals to be better company than people.
3	I abhor violence, but I will protect my home and my livelihood if necessary. The fox who tried to snatch my favorite hen learned that the hard way.
4	I have an esoteric folk saying for almost every situation.
5	Every year I look forward to the seasonal festivals of my homeland. They're a chance to see my neighbors, meet new people and show off my produce.
6	I experiment with various farming techniques to help me grow more bountiful harvests or create hybrid crops.
7	Any weary traveler who arrives at my door is welcome to a bowl of stew and a seat by my fire.
8	Although I love the countryside, I also know its dangers all too well. Trust me when I say there are creatures far worse than hungry wolves hiding in the forest.

d6	Ideal
1	We should all aspire to live in a world with more ploughshares than swords.
2	The land gives us life, and we must do our best to care for it in return.
3	Strong communities keep the world upright, like the timbers of a well-built barn.
4	Out in these fields, I control my own fate and answer only to nature itself.
5	Whoever fills the breadbaskets of the world controls its people. That's a kind of power kings can only dream of, and I want it for myself.
6	Our collective destiny is to lay claim to the land and bend it to our will. By reaping the treasure of my fields, I assert my dominance over nature.

d6	Bond
1	The small village near my farm depends on my crops for its sustenance. I can't let the people there go hungry.
2	My family has worked this land for generations. It's my responsibility to protect what they've built.
3	I owe money to one of my neighbors, and I'll lose my farm if I can't pay the debt.
4	I employ several workers to help me till the fields and bring in the harvest. I don't know how I'd manage without them.
5	I have a beloved farm animal that's been my constant companion for years. I'll do anything to keep them safe.
6	It's my dream to win first prize for my produce at the harvest festival.

d6	Flaw
1	I cling to traditional customs and resist trying new things.
2	I remain stubborn even in the face of overwhelming opposition from people or nature.
3	I have a fierce hatred for all wild animals, even if they aren't endangering my livestock.
4	I feel superior to people who live in towns or cities and have never done an honest day's work in the dirt.
5	Fine food and drink are my biggest weakness.
6	I intend to buy up the land around me and expand my property, and I won't let anyone get in my way.

Contacts

Farming is a difficult profession, even more so if you attempt it alone. Because of this, farmers in D&D realms tend to have a variety of allies that they can call on in their hour of need. A family farm is usually tended by multiple generations, with ownership passing from parent to child. Depending on their age, your character may have worked alongside their parents or grandparents or even their own spouse and children. A farmer with a larger piece of land usually hires extra workers to help maintain the crops and/or livestock. Your character might employ some workers for this purpose, or they themselves might be in the employ of some other landowner. Such a relationship could be friendly but has just as much potential to be hostile, depending on how your character feels about not owning the land they work on. Your character's interactions with other farmers has great potential for both alliances and rivalries. While some farmers might help each other by exchanging equipment or advice, others might actively work to undermine each other's operations. An enemy farmer might want to take your character's land or workers for themselves, or they might want to outdo you with their own harvest. Overall, a farmer's community-minded attitude has the ability to win them many friends, but those who oppose that community—or simply exist outside it—can quickly become their enemies.

d8	Contact
1	You have a sibling who stayed behind to run the family farm while you went adventuring.
2	Your sweetheart is the child of the wealthy landowner you work for as a hired hand.
3	The proprietor of a local tavern comes to you for most of their ingredients. You never pay full price for a meal at their establishment.
4	Your nearest neighbor grows the largest, most colorful vegetables you've ever seen. They might tell you the secret to their success, for a price.
5	You buy supplies from a friendly but unscrupulous store owner who gladly buys your produce and then passes it off as their own.
6	The local baker supplies you with fresh bread and juicy gossip in exchange for your produce.
7	A wealthier, more powerful farmer in your region is buying up the land surrounding yours, and they're incensed at your refusal to sell.
8	A hunter-gatherer tribe lives near the outskirts of your farm. They agree to keep away marauders and wild animals as long as you share some of your bounty and don't intrude on their territory.