You are a lost child, abandoned on the street to fight through blood and mud for nothing more than survival, a child sold to the arena forced into scars and violence, or maybe you’ve just always had a propensity for violence- you enjoy the feel of split skin and warm blood on your hands. Years of your life were spent giving and receiving scars until you have become an acolyte of violence, a priest of pain, an expert bruiser free from the constraints of civilized war craft. Who were you? What terrible deeds did you commit? How do you overcome your bloodied and violent history to be part of something bigger- something better- than senseless and brutal violence?
You have no qualms about dishing out efficient and brutal violence. You do it for money, you do it for safety, you do it for the sheer joy of the fight, however, you’ve come to realize that senselessness of fighting just for the pleasure of it or, at the very least, you’re recognizing that you can only continue this life for so long before your body ceases to meaningfully function. You’re looking for a way out or you are on the run looking for a life of penance or riches. What is your goal?
- Skill Proficiencies: Your very presences is intimidating, an obvious proficiency. In addition you may choose from either survival, as you've fought tooth and nail for every moment of your life, or medicine because stitching yourself up is just part of the job.
- Tool Proficiencies: You're no trained thief but knowing how to use their tools simply comes naturally to one of your background.
- Languages: You have a strong grasp of insults, slurs, and cursing in most languages and have a certain fondness for languages that are structured to embrace fighting words.
- Equipment: TBD
Years of brawling and fighting has gifted you with the ability to use just about anything as an improvised weapon. An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin. As a skilled user of non-traditional weapons and an inflictor of pain, you can use an improvised weapon for 1d6 damage, adding 1d for every 3 levels earned. In addition, should an enemy fail a dexterity check, you can use their own weapon against them for double damage. If you fail, they succeed in attacking you.
Suggested Characteristics
Suggested Characteristics
Years of brutal violence has taught you many things and it has left its mark on you.
|
d8 |
Personality Trait |
|
1 |
My appearance speaks for itself, others are uncomfortable just being around me. I’m intimidating whether I choose to be or not. |
|
2 |
I am quick to anger and slow to calm, even tiny things set me off. |
|
3 |
When someone asks me about my past, I change the subject. |
|
4 |
I’ve transcended the violence of my past. I am stoic and have completely found calm even in violence. |
|
5 |
I enjoy violence and torment and waste no time starting it when I see an opportunity. |
|
6 |
I’m a gentle giant. I may look scary but I’ve found peace with myself and seek to live my life to its fullest. |
|
d6 |
Ideal |
|
1 |
Redemption. I must protect others from that which I used to be. (Good) |
|
2 |
Power. My life is proof enough that good doesn’t exist in the world. I will do unto others what has been done unto me. (Evil) |
|
3 |
Friendship. I have lived a lonely life, I’m trying to change that.. (Neutral) |
|
4 |
Freedom. I used to fight for others or because I had no choice but now I fight for me. I am no longer controlled by violence, but I don’t shy away from it either.. (Chaotic) |
|
5 |
Order. I must control the anger that is always fighting for release. I do this with meditation, ritual, and routine. I will control my past, it will not control me. (Lawful) |
|
6 |
Aspiration. The world will know me for who I am now, not what I was. (Any) |
|
d6 |
Bond |
|
1 |
There is a tavern at which I was a bouncer for some time. I think of it as home. |
|
2 |
There is an individual I crippled unintentionally. I still send them letters and gold. They’ve long since forgiven me, but I cannot forgive myself. |
|
3 |
I still seek out the person or persons who set me on this path. |
|
4 |
I killed someone’s family member years ago and they still hunt me. |
|
5 |
I had a partner once, in crime, in the arena, or in brawls. I don’t know what became of them. |
|
6 |
I orphaned a child by mistake and took them on as my ward. I pay a family to care for them and seek to give them the life I never had. They do not know I killed their parent. |
|
d6 |
Flaw |
|
1 |
Given the chance I escalate every argument to violence. |
|
2 |
Drinking brings out my inner monster. |
|
3 |
My past haunts me. I don’t sleep well after committing violent acts and can have full blown panic attacks once I feel I’m alone. |
|
4 |
The only thing that makes me feel anymore is pain therefore I seek it out, starting fights or harming myself just to feel. |
|
5 |
I worry that my appearance frightens others so I distance myself before they can distance me. |
|
6 |
My hands and face have nerve damage which causes them to itch but I don’t feel pain so I have a bad habit of picking holes in both. |
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My appearance speaks for itself, others are uncomfortable just being around me. I’m intimidating whether I choose to be or not. |
| 2 | I am quick to anger and slow to calm, even tiny things set me off. |
| 3 | When someone asks me about my past, I change the subject. |
| 4 | I’ve transcended the violence of my past. I am stoic and have completely found calm even in violence. |
| 5 | I enjoy violence and torment and waste no time starting it when I see an opportunity. |
| 6 | I’m a gentle giant. I may look scary but I’ve found peace with myself and seek to live my life to its fullest. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Redemption. I must protect others from that which I used to be. (Good) |
| 2 | Power. My life is proof enough that good doesn’t exist in the world. I will do unto others what has been done unto me. (Evil) |
| 3 | Friendship. I have lived a lonely life, I’m trying to change that.. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Freedom. I used to fight for others or because I had no choice but now I fight for me. I am no longer controlled by violence, but I don’t shy away from it either.. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Order. I must control the anger that is always fighting for release. I do this with meditation, ritual, and routine. I will control my past, it will not control me. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Aspiration. The world will know me for who I am now, not what I was. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | There is a tavern at which I was a bouncer for some time. I think of it as home. |
| 2 | There is an individual I crippled unintentionally. I still send them letters and gold. They’ve long since forgiven me, but I cannot forgive myself. |
| 3 | I still seek out the person or persons who set me on this path. |
| 4 | I killed someone’s family member years ago and they still hunt me. |
| 5 | I had a partner once, in crime, in the arena, or in brawls. I don’t know what became of them. |
| 6 | I orphaned a child by mistake and took them on as my ward. I pay a family to care for them and seek to give them the life I never had. They do not know I killed their parent. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Given the chance I escalate every argument to violence. |
| 2 | Drinking brings out my inner monster. |
| 3 | My past haunts me. I don’t sleep well after committing violent acts and can have full blown panic attacks once I feel I’m alone. |
| 4 | The only thing that makes me feel anymore is pain therefore I seek it out, starting fights or harming myself just to feel. |
| 5 | I worry that my appearance frightens others so I distance myself before they can distance me. |
| 6 | My hands and face have nerve damage which causes them to itch but I don’t feel pain so I have a bad habit of picking holes in both. |
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Posted Sep 25, 2021The improvised weapon feature is waaaaaaay too powerful... 2d6 damage at 3rd level with a frying pan? It would be enough to regain your proficiency bonus using improvised weapons; damage would generally be treated as a club (frying pan, bottle, tankard) or greatclub (wagon wheel) depending on the size of the item.
Other than that, good background. I was contemplating making a brawler background myself and yours covers a lot of the bases I wanted. My version will give the character Intimidation and Athletics, as I feel it fits the background better than Medicine and Survival. But maybe have the background select from the three skills...? You've given me a bit to think about. Thank you!