BASED ON THE HAUNTED ONE AND THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER BY The_Fishtoad

 

You are haunted by something so terrible that you dare not speak of it. You’ve tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can’t be slain with a sword or banished with a spell. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. You must find a way to overcome it before it destroys you.

Because of this you're an oddity living in a world that struggles to understand you, a shadow in the hearts and minds of those you inspire and terrify. To most, your existence is a myth, created from the awed murmurs of those who have witnessed you, and curious imaginations of those who've heard those rumours. Although many people wouldn't understand just exactly who - or what - you are, you are very real, and you have your own reasons for doing what you believe needs to be done.

Your journey is one that follows what people like you name 'The Stranger's Call'. This call gives you precognition of where you need to go and who you need to find. You wander for days and nights, following a call only you know how to answer. Then when the time is right, you appear like a ghost and strike. Just when everyone thinks they understand you, you're gone as quick as you came, already answering another call.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Survival.

Choose two from among Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Investigation, Performance, Religion, or Stealth

Tool Proficiencies:

skill three from among Bagpipes, [Tooltip Not Found], Drum, ]Dulcimer, Flute, Horn, Lute, [Tooltip Not Found]Flute, Playing Card Set, Shawm, Thieves Tools, Viol

Languages: Choose one language (Dwarvish, Elvish, Giant, Gnomish, Goblin, Halfling, or Orc)

Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)

Equipment:  A , set of common clothes, and one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Gothic Trinkets table after this background).

Suggested Characteristics

You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you. You are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me.
2	When I enter a new area or building, I like to analyze my surroundings in case something goes wrong.
3	I prefer to stay quiet, and let my mood and actions speak for me.
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 have my own reasons for doing what I do and don't like talking about them, but I seem trustworthy enough.
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 have my own reasons for doing what I do. (Any)
3	I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good)
4	There are powerful forces in the world that go against what I believe in, and I will not rest until they have been dispatched. (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	I appear when times are dire, to aid those who cannot help themselves. I am a guardian to my allies, and a nightmare to my enemies.
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 carry a terrible burden on my shoulders, and it makes me slow to trust people.
5	I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope.
6	I fought a powerful enemy, and they want me dead for my transgressions.