Wanderer (5e Background)
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: I think this needs a bit more fluff and tweaking to distinguish it from the official outlander background, or even the far traveler.
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Wanderer
You have spent a good portion of your life wandering the world, experiencing all that it has to offer. You have learned to live amongst the wilds, but did you venture back to civilisation once in a while? Did you travel alone or with companions? Do you have a destination in mind or is the very experience the goal? Perhaps you journey is not made by choice but instead out of fear for repercussions if you had remained in a previous location? Whatever the nature of your wandering lifestyle you receive a great thrill when exploring a new location and quickly attune to the natural order of your environment.
You have chosen to wander the land, never truly settling down. What drove you to this lifestyle? Was it an innate sense of wanderlust, or a need to find something in a distant land? How long do you intend to wander, and do you ever intend to stop?
Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Medicine, Nature and Survival
Tool Proficiencies: A Herbalism Kit and your choice of Cartographer's Tools, Cook's Utensils or Woodcarver's Tools
Equipment: A map from the table below, a staff or walking stick, a set of traveler's clothes, a stub of charcoal, a small diary, the two tools with which you are proficient and a belt pouch containing 5 gp
You may choose a map from the table below or roll to select one randomly. At your DM's discretion you may instead own a map specific to the campaign.
| d6 | Maps |
|---|---|
| 1 | A map of your homeland |
| 2 | A map to your chosen destination |
| 3 | A map in an unknown language of an unknown place |
| 4 | A map of the underdark |
| 5 | A map to an ancient treasure hoard |
| 6 | A map of a huge structure or dungeon |
Call of the Wild
The wanderers of the world are as diverse as the environments they explore, but why did you start upon your journey? Consider also if something has changed to cause you to embark upon your current adventure, or is this simply yet another stop upon your journey as a whole? Work with your DM or use the tables provided to decide upon a reason or reasons for why you began your travels and what event, if any, has caused you to embark upon your most recent adventure.
| d6 | Call of the wild |
|---|---|
| 1 | I never could stand being in one place, its the open road for me |
| 2 | I was forced to flee my home and go on the run, lest I suffer the consequences |
| 3 | I was exiled for a crime I may or may not have committed |
| 4 | I was born to the wilds and would prefer to live out my life there |
| 5 | I left in search of unexplored lands |
| 6 | The world is full of lost treasures and I plan to be the one who find them |
Feature: Ways of the Wild
Your years of traveling have granted you great knowledge of the world and it's inhabitants. You know where almost anything can be found, whether it be monsters, beasts, humanoids, plants or more. Also, after so long providing for yourself, you have become an expert forager. You have advantage on any checks made to forage for food or materials, and you find twice as much as you normally would.
Suggested Characteristics
Wanderers are shaped by their years of solitude in the wild. They tend to have unusual habits and are unaccustomed to dealing with people other than themselves (and the occasional monster that they stumble across).
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am extremely awkward around other people, having spent so much time alone. Conversations with me tend to be fairly one-sided. |
| 2 | It's extremely hard to impress me. I've seen so much in my time that it takes something really huge to shock me. |
| 3 | I grow bored extremely easily. When that happens, it's time to move onto something else. |
| 4 | Friends? What are friends? |
| 5 | I see no point in manners or etiquette. |
| 6 | I've never had to make a plan in my life, and I don't intend to start now. |
| 7 | I often say insulting things to people without realizing it, and can't understand why they take offence. |
| 8 | I have an extremely odd sense of humour. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nature. Civilizations come and go, but the natural world stays the same. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Aspiration. I want to make something of myself, and I can't do that by continuing the way I'm going. (Any) |
| 3 | Freedom. People should be free to pursue their goals, no matter the consequences. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Equality. No life is worth more than another. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Might. No-one will ever look down on me again. (Evil) |
| 6 | Respect. Respect is due to everyone, even people like me. (Good) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will someday get my revenge on the people who had me exiled. |
| 2 | My old life still holds a place in my heart, and I would do anything to return to it. |
| 3 | I owe my life to the tribe that took me in. |
| 4 | My parents were killed long ago. It's up to me to find out why, and to avenge their deaths. |
| 5 | It is my greatest wish to rejoin society and rebuild my life. |
| 6 | My old mentor told me of a great evil just before they died. It's up to me to destroy it. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Having lived so long without any kind of comfort, now I can't get enough of it. |
| 2 | I am extremely unreliable and often don't keep my promises. |
| 3 | Sometimes it's hard for me to distinguish right from wrong. Ethics aren't very useful when you're trying to stay alive. |
| 4 | My secrets are my own, and I don't see why I should have to share them with anyone else. |
| 5 | Petty insults are just as provocative to me as serious ones. and I grow dangerous once provoked. |
| 6 | People who can't take care of themselves don't deserve to be taken care of. |
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