Almost all of the common people and other folk that one might encounter along the Sword Coast or in the North have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling more than a few miles from where they were born. You aren't one of those folk. You are the connection between far-flung cities and places, delivering goods, news, and stories across the land. You may not be a wilderness expert, or know the far corners of the world, but you're well acquainted to every road and byway, and you know the best places for a good meal and a warm bed.
You have been on the road now for longer than you remember. There is always the next city, village, or town on the horizon and your home is wherever you lay your head. Why do you travel? Maybe it is to find a worthy opponent, or to help those in need or just to experience the world. Those who don't live a travelling life may view you as strange, but they won't ever develop your skills or see the sights you have seen. You have helped the common folk here and there, whether it was by slaying some creature that posed a danger, helping fix a carriage or just some work they are grateful for. Word spreads around making you a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two of Athletics, History, Insight, Perception, Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice
- Languages: One of your choice, picked up during your travels
- Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, a trinket from your travels, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, a map of the region and a pouch containing 10 gp
You’ve been to strange places and seen things that others cannot begin to fathom. Consider some of the distant lands you have visited, and how they impacted you. You can roll on the following table to determine your drive for continuing a nomadic life, or choose one that best fits your character.
| d10 | Drive |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your small village was too constricting. |
| 2 | The need to be the best at your abilities. |
| 3 | There may have been a run in with the law and you are wanted in your homeland |
| 4 | You search for a worthy opponent |
| 5 | A desire to see every wonder of the world |
| 6 | A duty to bring help to those who need it in every land |
| 7 | You have been searching for someone |
| 8 | Your town and family were killed and there is no home to return to. |
| 9 | Every place has something new to learn |
| 10 | A desire to understand all cultures. |
You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, due to your extensive time on the road you know how to find water, food, and can make a shelter if the land provides. When in town, 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.
Suggested Characteristics
Those that live their lives on the road are shaped by the experiences they have there. Their encounters with many different peoples and cultures along with the stories they have acquired and the experiences of life on the move shape their ideals and behaviors. Their bonds may tie them to specific people of places they hold especially dear among their journeys. However they may also hold reasons why they don't stick around long such as avoiding obligations or enemies, or a troubled past.
| d12 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don't like turning down people that ask me for help. |
| 2 | I don't like spending to much time in the same place. The road and adventure always beckons. |
| 3 | I get lost in specifics and often forget there is a larger scope to be seen. |
| 4 | Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. |
| 5 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. |
| 6 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. |
| 7 | I have close to no social skills and find it difficult to befriend people. |
| 8 | I can easily talk hours on end of things that I find interesting whether others do so too or not. |
| 9 | I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space. |
| 10 | I have a strong code of honor or sense of propriety that others don't comprehend. |
| 11 | I eat every meal like it is my last. |
| 12 | I begin or end my day with small traditional rituals that are unfamiliar to those around me. |
| d8 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | If somebody asks for help I freely give it (Good) |
| 2 | I’m loyal to my friends to a fault. I will never leave anyone behind and will do anything to protect them (Any) |
| 3 | People's needs are what truly matter. Law is inconsequential to that. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Everything I do is so I can get stronger and wiser. Anything else is irrelevant (Evil) |
| 5 | I have much to learn from the kindly folk I meet along my way. (Good) |
| 6 | I will not allow any criminal to run free and will help whatever authority as best I can (Lawful) |
| 7 | I'm far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic) |
| 8 | I must be careful, for I have no way of telling friend from foe here. (Any) |
| d8 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have a trinket from a special someone back at home that I hold dearly. |
| 2 | My tools are symbols of lessons learned from a person who shaped who I am. Using them I am reminded of who I truly am. |
| 3 | I have a book in which I write my discoveries and experiences along with useful information that might be helpful in certain situations. |
| 4 | I would lay down my life for my companions. |
| 5 | There's always a road I haven't traveled before. I'm always looking for new places to explore. |
| 6 | My freedom is my most precious possession. I'll never let anyone take it from me again. |
| 7 | Though I had no choice, I lament having to leave my loved one(s) behind. I hope to see them again one day. |
| 8 | Everything I do is for the common people. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I become impossibly stubborn when I think I am right. |
| 2 | I easily become obsessed with things I find interesting and important but I just as easily leave it and move on to the next thing. |
| 3 | I have trouble trusting in my allies. |
| 4 | I have certain compulsive habits that I must absolutely do in certain conditions. |
| 5 | I have no empathy whatsoever. I really can't put myself in another person's shoes. |
| 6 | I have a weakness for the exotic beauty of the lands I pass through |
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