There was a time before, when you were happy. You were well-educated, well cared for, and comfortable. Your parent or parents loved you and provided for everything you could need or want. You woke up with a smile each day and could not wait for tomorrow to start when you went to bed. Life was calm, but charmed, and you never wanted for anything, not even adventure. Everything was perfect.
Then tragedy struck. You were out, running an errand or on a school trip, but your parent or parents were less fortunate. Your home was destroyed in a terrible, freak accident. Your parents were killed in the process. You were left with nothing. Or almost nothing - your parents left you some money. That doesn't make up for what was lost.
You're on your own now, sad and alone. Maybe the tragedy that took your life away from you is part of a bigger plot. Maybe it was meaningless, cruel fate. Either way, where do you go from here?
- Skill Proficiencies: You choose two out of the following proficiencies: Arcana, Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, [skill]Persuasion[skill].
- Tool Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in one artisan's tool or musical instrument of your choice.
- Languages: You know two languages of your choice.
- Equipment: Your parents leave you an inheritance, the amount of which is based of your background.
d6 Financial background 1 Your family had no savings. You are left 1 SP. 2 Your family was poor. You are left 5 SP. 3 Your family was modest. You are left 3 GP. 4 Your family was comfortable. You are left 10 GP. 5 Your family was wealthy. You are left 25 GP. 6 Your family was aristocratic. You are left 100 GP. You also gain the following:
• A trinket, found in the ashes of your home
• A set of common clothes
• A small knife
Roll a d100 to find your trinket on An Orphan's Trinket table, or create your own backstory relevant trinket.
| d50 | An Orphan's Trinkets: Found Mementos |
|---|---|
| 1 | Half of a spyglass that belonged to one of your parents. You think. |
| 2 | A pocket book of dwarven poetry, annotated. |
| 3 | A cut yellow chrysanthemum that never dies. |
| 4 | A scrap of paper on which is written, in Goblin, "My dearest Bess,". |
| 5 | A keychain holding the head of a broken key. The key to your front door. |
| 6 | An ivory knitting needle that belonged to your mother's grandmother. |
| 7 | A child's charm bracelet with charms for each member of your family. |
| 8 | A deed to a ruined tower you didn't know existed. |
| 9 | A bundle of ragged "treasure maps" drawn by inventive local children. You drew some of them. |
| 10 | A penny whistle that plays the same note no matter which holes are covered. It used to play fine? |
| 11 | Illustrated instructions on how to make a paper hat. You wore them all the time when you were young. |
| 12 | A pepper grinder containing an unlimited supply of pepper unless opened, at which point it becomes half empty. |
| 13 | A wooden doll with a door that opens to reveal a slightly smaller, identical, doll; this one is empty. The nested doll got lost years ago. |
| 14 | An opaque jar that cannot be opened or broken, no matter how hard you try. What was kept inside? |
| 15 | A journal that details the great adventures of a hero you only heard about in bedtime stories, complete with vivid descriptions of nonsensical creatures and terms, all written in messy handwriting, but with impressive diction. |
| 16 | A puppet in the likeness of a long lost relative, that echoes your movements when you (and only you) place it on the ground. |
| 17 | A block with tiny animals wandering on each face that change when they cross onto a different face. |
| 18 | An invitation to an event that has already ended, addressed to your father... three days from now? |
| 19 | An engagement ring that belonged to one of your parents. |
| 20 | A book that you faintly remember from your childhood that you thought was lost for many years. |
| 21 | A sword sized for a child. |
| 22 | A shard of crystal that glows when near places dedicated to a your parents' patron deity, and glows brighter the closer you are. |
| 23 | A robe with a tag on the inside that reads "to my dearest pupil," given to you by someone you deeply respect. |
| 24 | A slip of parchment with the phrase "I am not dead" written on it. |
| 25 | An iron ring that, when worn, makes the wearer feel calm. |
| 26 | A corn husk doll which dances under its own power when music is played nearby. |
| 27 | A piece of torn linen cloth worn soft by a relative's fingers. Up close, you can see marks where embroidery has been picked away. |
| 28 | An old doll you found in the skeleton of your old home.. The doll's eyes follow you and you usually have nightmares when you sleep near it even when you throw it away it comes right back to you. |
| 29 | Some candy that tastes faintly of pineapple, and never seems to go bad. |
| 30 | A small doll with a cloak and toy dagger attached. On the back of the doll, the letters "TDG" are written. |
| 31 | A scroll case full of ash. The lid has a tiny iron spike on the top. |
| 32 | A puzzle set that is missing a piece which never seems to be the same piece as last time. |
| 33 | A scroll on which is inscribed a childish insult that isn't very amusing. |
| 34 | A card game with monsters, traps, and spells on each card. Playing one makes a small image of it appear and when played against another monster will attack one another. |
| 35 | A bag of weird living figurines of everyone you know, including yourself, and they seem to be unable to see you despite your ability to interact with them. |
| 36 | Your favorite pair of socks. They're worn down and aren't worth wearing anymore. |
| 37 | The ashes of your parental figure. |
| 38 | Five keys fused together in such a way that they could never open anything, found in the ashes of your home. You have nightmares of being burned alive whenever you sleep near it. |
| 39 | A knife that belonged to a relative. |
| 40 | A rag doll in the likeness of an owlbear. |
| 41 | A small comb made of blue coral. |
| 42 | A worn wooden floorboard that, after nightfall, makes the faint sound of a beating heart. |
| 43 | A small book of family recipes. Every page, except for one, is stained from years of use. |
| 44 | A single red sock that is always warm. |
| 45 | A burnt and unreadable scroll given to you by your parent's executor. |
| 46 | An ever-smoldering lump of coal. |
| 47 | A small, wooden toy horse. |
| 48 | A religious icon that once belonged to an ancestor. |
| 49 | A set of children's wooden building blocks, when left on their own unobserved they occasional spell out words. |
| 50 | A fragment of scorched sheet music to a family member's favorite song. |
You have advantage on all checks against fear and intimidation except for those directly related to your tragedy. You have disadvantage for checks related to your tragedy. You do not roll with disadvantage for strenuous circumstances, except those related to your tragedy.
At the DM's discretion, events related to your tragedy can trigged madness (refer to rules for madness in the Dungeon Master’s Guide).
Suggested Characteristics
A New Orphan comes from a family they were very close to. They family does not have to be full, and can have gone through tragedy in the past, but not during your character's lifetime. Your character has lived a life of relative comfort and a lot happiness. For whatever reason, your character's family was not very close to other living relatives or anyone who could care for your character, or else the tragedy that killed your family killed them too. Remaining friends and family have been alienated by the tragedy.
Your character is very well educated and has developed special interests over their childhood. These tools help them survive their new life.
Your character's reaction to the tragedy can be anything from deep depression to a need for revenge, or a burning need to understand why their family died. They cannot be at peace with the tragedy. It is what launches them forward into their adventure.
| d20 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I often think I see people from my past, and it takes me a moment to realize it isn't them. |
| 2 | Whenever I see a crying child, I have to stop and cheer them up. |
| 3 | I’m always ready to patiently explain anything and everything to others. |
| 4 | I’m always picking things up, absently fiddling with them, and sometimes accidentally breaking them. |
| 5 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. |
| 6 | I don’t talk about the past. I’d rather not burden others with my misfortune. |
| 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. |
| 8 | I try my hardest to learn all I can about this world so I'm never at a disadvantage. |
| 9 | Lecturing others is second nature to me and I often find myself going off on tangents in normal conversation. |
| 10 | I don’t put much stock into money. I would rather have things that are useful or beautiful than valuable. I don’t need material possessions to keep me happy. |
| 11 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. |
| 12 | I seem much older than my apparent years, sometimes unnervingly so. |
| 13 | I am curious about everything I see, sometimes more than is safe. |
| 14 | I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working towards peace. |
| 15 | I judge people by their actions, not their words. |
| 16 | When I set my mind to something, I follow through no matter what gets in my way. |
| 17 | I’m always polite and respectful. |
| 18 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| 19 | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. |
| 20 | I worry that I'll never find my place in the world and I will never fit in. |
| d8 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Self-Sacrifice. I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 3 | Fellowship. Each of us has to look out for one another, and I try to do that wherever I go. (Good) |
| 4 | Compliance. I keep my head down and my nose clean. I don't want any trouble. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Ideology. I am always ready to stand up and fight for what I believe in! (Any) |
| 6 | Sincerity. There’s no good in pretending to be something I’m not. (Neutral) |
| 7 | Joy. Life is short and you should enjoy what good it has to offer. (Chaotic) |
| 8 | Selfishness. You have to look out for yourself before anyone else. It's the only way to survive. (Evil) |
| d8 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have a few trinkets from my old life that I will never part with. |
| 2 | I don't have any bonds and I'm not looking to make any new ones. |
| 3 | An injury to my friend is an injury to me. |
| 4 | I protect those who cannot protect themselves. |
| 5 | My life is the only thing they didn't take from me. I'll never let anyone threaten it again. |
| 6 | My parent was my inspiration, and he/she was infallible. |
| 7 | I cannot allow anyone to be lonely. |
| 8 | I am searching for anyone who will take me in. |
| d8 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have a hair-trigger temper. |
| 2 | I can often be rather condescending when exhibiting my knowledge. |
| 3 | I’m too curious for my own good, and it often gets me into trouble. |
| 4 | When the nightmares get to be too much, I'll do something--anything--to dull the pain. |
| 5 | I’ve lost too many people, and I’m slow to connect with new ones. |
| 6 | I judge others severely and I hold myself to the same standard. |
| 7 | I cry myself to sleep every night. |
| 8 | Violence is my answer to almost any challenge. |
Previous Versions
| Name | Date Modified | Views | Adds | Version | Actions |
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10/3/2019 3:29:37 AM
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4
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0
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Coming Soon
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10/20/2019 4:43:20 AM
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47
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1
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1.1
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Coming Soon
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