“I didn’t escape. I endured. There’s a difference.”
—Raven

You’ve faced the abyss and returned—not whole, perhaps, but alive. Whether from war, catastrophe, betrayal, or the cruel whims of fate, you’ve lost everything once before. The world has broken you, reforged you, and taught you what truly matters. You no longer flinch at blood, fear, or silence. You don’t wait for rescue. You don’t believe in happy endings. You survive.

Some Survivors cling to vengeance. Others to duty, or a flicker of hope buried under grit. But all carry something in their eyes that never fully heals. You are proof that the past never lets go—but that it doesn’t have to define who you become.

Ability Score Increase:

• +2 Wisdom
• +1 Constitution

Feats:

• Tough
• Alert

Skill Proficiencies:

Insight, Intimidation, and Survival

Tool Proficiencies:

One of your choice: Disguise Kit, Herbalism Kit, or Thieves’ Tools

Languages:

Common, and one of your choice

Equipment:

• A worn token from your past (a ring, locket, knife, etc.)
  • A cloak or item of clothing stitched back together countless times
  • A set of traveler’s clothes
  • A small bundle of dried rations wrapped in oilcloth
  • Pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Hardened by Loss

When you are within 30 feet of an ally or someone you protect, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

In addition, once per long rest, when you fail a Wisdom saving throw, you may choose to succeed instead—pushing through sheer force of will rather than yielding to despair or manipulation.

Suggested Characteristics

Survivors are shaped by trauma, but they are not defined by weakness. Their resilience can manifest as strength, cynicism, stubborn resolve, or a desperate need to shield others from what they endured. They rarely speak of what happened—but the scars are always there, etched in silence and reflex.

“I didn’t win. I just survived longer than they expected.”
—Veteran’s Inscription, nameless grave at the edge of a shattered battlefield

Skill Proficiencies: Survivors are skill in Insight, Intimidation, and Survival.

Tool Proficiencies: Survivors are trained in one of the following:

Disguise Kit

Herbalism Kit

Thieves' Tools

Languages: Survivors know Common and one other language

Equipment: Survivors have the following equipment:

• A worn token from your past (a ring, locket, knife, etc.)
  • A cloak or item of clothing stitched back together countless times
  • A set of traveler’s clothes
  • A small bundle of dried rations wrapped in oilcloth
  • Pouch containing 10 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Survivors are shaped by trauma, but they are not defined by weakness. Their resilience can manifest as strength, cynicism, stubborn resolve, or a desperate need to shield others from what they endured. They rarely speak of what happened—but the scars are always there, etched in silence and reflex.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I don’t talk much. Listening keeps me alive.
2	I always sit facing the exit.
3	I sleep lightly, and I don’t sleep well.
4	I patch people up, but I never expect thanks.
5	I keep a mental count of everyone I’ve failed.
6	I prepare for the worst—because it always comes.
7	I can’t stand wasted food, time, or breath.
8	I write down everything. If I forget, I might lose more.

d6	Ideal
1	Endurance. Pain is a teacher. I’ve learned its lessons. (Neutral)
2	Protection. No one else should go through what I did. (Good)
3	Vengeance. They’ll pay for what they took. (Chaotic)
4	Control. The world takes. I take back. (Evil)
5	Hope. Even if I don’t believe in it, I protect those who do. (Neutral Good)
6	Freedom. I will never be bound again. (Chaotic Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	I’d die to protect one person. I’ve done worse to keep them alive.
2	I owe my life to someone I can never repay
3	I carry the last memory of a lost homeland.
4	My past is hunting me—I won’t let it catch someone else.
5	I keep something hidden that would ruin me if found.
6	I promised I’d return. I intend to keep that promise.

d7	Flaw
1	I push everyone away before they can leave me.
2	I don’t trust good things. I’ve buried too many.
3	I lash out when I feel cornered.
4	I won’t accept help, even when I need it.
5	I still have nightmares. I don’t talk about them.
6	Sometimes, I forget I’m not in a war anymore.
7	Sometimes, I forget I’m not in a war anymore.

Contacts

Your connections aren’t born from power, wealth, or ambition—they’re forged in moments of desperation, during shared nights in the cold, and in the bonds formed after the last scream fell silent. Survivors like you rarely trust easily, but when you do, it’s because someone has proven themselves in blood and silence.

d5	Contact
1	• A battlefield medic, streetwise herbalist, or itinerant healer who once stitched you back together or whom you assisted when death was closing in. They trust your instincts and may offer refuge, supplies, or urgent news about spreading conflict or plague
2	• A fellow survivor of your past trauma, someone who made it out when so many didn’t. They understand your scars and might reach out when the past resurfaces—or when it catches up to them first.
3	• A nomadic wanderer, smuggler, or caravan guide who knows the back roads and shadowed trails you once used to escape or hide. They may serve as a messenger, scout, or bearer of hard-won wisdom.
4	• A sentry, jailer, or former soldier who saw what you endured from the other side—and either respected your will to live or felt complicit in your suffering. Your relationship might be complex, tinged with guilt, gratitude, or unspoken understanding.
5	• A child you once protected, or someone who reminds you of what you lost, now grown or changed. They look up to you—or fear becoming you.