You once stood against a threat that would have reduced the wilds to ash and shadow. Whether alone or with a small band of allies, you protected the trees, rivers, and creatures of the forest from devastation—and the forest has not forgotten. The creatures know your scent, the trees whisper your name in the wind, and even strangers may recognize the tales of your bravery.
- Ability Scores:
- Feat:
- Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land)
- Languages:
- Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a shovel, an iron pot, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
You previously pursued a simple profession among the peasantry, perhaps as a farmer, miner, servant, shepherd, woodcutter, or gravedigger. But something happened that set you on a different path and marked you for greater things. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that marked you as a hero of the people.
| d10 | Defining Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | I stood up to a tyrant’s agents. |
| 2 | I saved people during a natural disaster. |
| 3 | I stood alone against a terrible monster. |
| 4 | I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor. |
| 5 | I led a militia to fight off an invading army. |
| 6 | I broke into a tyrant’s castle and stole weapons to arm the people. |
| 7 | I trained the peasantry to use farm implements as weapons against a tyrant’s soldiers. |
| 8 | A lord rescinded an unpopular decree after I led a symbolic act of protest against it. |
| 9 | A celestial, fey, or similar creature gave me a blessing or revealed my secret origin. |
| 10 | Recruited into a lord’s army, I rose to leadership and was commended for my heroism. |
Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.
Spell List
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | mend plants |
| 1st | animal friendship |
| 2nd | animal messenger, beast sense, control animal |
| 3rd | conjure animals, plant growth, speak with plants |
| 4th | charm monster, conjure woodland beings, shape plants |
| 5th | commune with nature, tree stride |
| 6th | transport via plants |
| 8th | animal shapes |
Suggested Characteristics
A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities remain very important to them.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I see omens and signs in the rustling of leaves and animal movements. |
| 2 | I prefer the company of beasts to people. |
| 3 | I tell my tale often, both to inspire and to remind others of what I’ve done. |
| 4 | I am always watching for the next danger to the forest. |
| 5 | I can’t help but feel protective toward the weak or lost. |
| 6 | I respect those who earn the forest’s trust, not just its resources. |
| 7 | I measure people by how they treat nature. |
| 8 | I seek the one who first taught me the forest’s ways. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Balance – Nature and civilization must live in harmony. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Protection – The wild must be shielded from all who would harm it. (Good) |
| 3 | Freedom – The forest should remain untamed and free. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Honor – My actions must live up to my legendary deed. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Survival – Nature favors the strong; I must remain strong too. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Power – The forest’s strength is mine to command. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | A great beast of the forest once aided me, and I owe it my life. |
| 2 | The site of my great battle is sacred, and I will defend it to my last breath. |
| 3 | I hold grudges against those who harm nature—sometimes unfairly. |
| 4 | I bear a weapon or charm blessed by the forest spirits. |
| 5 | I take reckless risks when defending the wild. |
| 6 | I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe my forest is more important than any other place. |
| 2 | I grow restless in cities and often act rashly to escape them. |
| 3 | The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again. |
| 4 | I expect respect and admiration for my past deeds. |
| 5 | Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land. |
| 6 | I think I know what’s best for the forest, even when I’m wrong. |
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