For as long as angles and demons have mettled in the lives and affairs of men the Twilight Sentinels have stood as silent protectors to the mortal realm. Originally a small group of holy men that traveled the world offering words of prayer and protection, they quickly began to shift from a defensive stance to taking the offensive and began actively seeking out and destroying these threats. As their numbers and reputation grew with the time, so to did the mystery that surrounded them. Mentions of other worldly magic, blood powers, alchemical enhancements and beastly transformations were written off as merely urban legends. Oh, if only such things were true.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival
- Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)
- Equipment: A monster hunter’s pack (see the sidebar), a set of common clothes, and one trinket of special significance.
Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was defined by one dark moment, one fateful decision, or one tragedy. Now, you feel a darkness threatening to consume you, and you fear there may be no hope of escape. Choose a harrowing event that haunts you, or create one.
| d9 | Harrowing Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | A monster that slaughtered dozens of innocent people spared your life, and you don’t know why. |
| 2 | You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night. |
| 3 | An apparition that has haunted your family for generations now haunts you. You don’t know what it wants, and it won’t leave you alone. |
| 4 | Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts. You dabbled once and felt something horrible clutch at your soul, whereupon you fled in terror. |
| 5 | An oni took your sibling one cold, dark night, and you were unable to stop it. |
| 6 | A hag kidnapped and raised you. You escaped, but the hag still has a magical hold over you and fills your mind with evil thoughts. |
| 7 | You opened an eldritch tome and saw things unfit for a sane mind. You burned the book, but its words and images are burned into your psyche. |
| 8 | A fiend possessed you as a child. You were locked away but escaped. The fiend is still inside you, but now you try to keep it locked away. |
| 9 | You did terrible things to avenge the murder of someone you loved. You became a monster, and it haunts your waking dreams. |
Those who look upon you can instantly tell that you have witnessed and battled true evils in this world. Little is known about the Twilight Sentinels except that where ever one if found so to is a great evil. As such, most common folk are wary of you, their reactions tend to range from fear and avoidance to distrust and aggression. Tho coin is coin ,and as such, most demeanors should not impede in your day-to-day comers.
Suggested Characteristics
Your trials as a Sentinel have left you slightly indignant to the world around you.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me. |
| 2 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. |
| 3 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. |
| 4 | I live for the thrill of the hunt. |
| 5 | I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. |
| 6 | I expect danger around every corner. |
| 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. |
| 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 2 | I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) |
| 3 | I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) |
| 4 | I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | I like to know my enemy’s capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) |
| 6 | I’m a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. |
| 2 | I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. |
| 3 | My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I’ve lost. |
| 4 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 5 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. |
| 6 | I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. |
| 2 | I assume the worst in people. |
| 3 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones. |
| 4 | I have an addiction. |
| 5 | I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. |
| 6 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. |
Contacts
In each town/city you enter there is always a Twilight Sentinel contact or bureau where you may learn more about the area and what is happening there.
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Posted Aug 7, 2019Looking through this background, I was really impressed by the type of style it went for. Whilst giving a decent amount of bonuses, and assistance in a good backstory, it really holds its own. Some Homebrewed backgrounds really make your character a bit to much like the official 5e ones. This really stands out from the crowd. There in my opinion, should be more like this one around the site.
The Personality Traits, Bonds Flaws and Ideals really work with the idea of being a part of a society of Sentinels who watch for all evil and keep the peace. The idea that they are feared, not always welcomed with peace and the fact that they have a member in most/ all holds really does give those who take this background a really well done RP way of finding quests to keep them and their party busy. I've used this for a Sorcerer Character and with the right backstory and chosen Ideals, Personality Traits, Bonds and Flaws that character has really become something fantastic.
Great job over all on this Background.