SHADOWDARK BACKGROUNDS

We expanded our Backgrounds list to encompass many options that the players wished were there. Our groups play a lot of urban campaigns so these help flesh out their characters. In all fairness, many of these were scoured from the vastness of the internet and we don’t remember where to give due credit. 

Roll a d4 to determine which table

Background Table 1

1. Acolyte – You’re well trained in religious rites and doctrines.
2. Apothecary – You know what strange ingredients to combine.
3. Artist – You create and appreciate the value of artistic objects.
4. Baker – Your knowledge of baked goods equals many friends.
5. Balladeer – You travel the world, chronicling its history in song.
6. Beast Hunter – Killing dangerous prey is a rite of passage..
7. Blacksmith – Iron bends to your will and in your skilled hands.
8. Bounty Hunter – Your quarry is elusive, but never forgotten.
9. Brewer/Vintner – Many relationships are built on a good drink.
10. Butcher – You know what parts are the most valuable, and tasty.
11. Carpenter – Function or art, wood obeys your command.
12. Cartographer – You seek to map all that can be explored.
13. Charlatan – You have a trusting face and are very convincing.
14. Courtesan – You know you can be more important than any title.
15. Criminal – You have connections, contacts, and debts.
16. Dairy Farmer – Milk is good, but nothing beats a good cheese.
17. Desert Wanderer – To outsiders, the desert is a wasteland. You know its bounties.
18. Diplomat – You are an emissary from another kingdom.
19. Disciple – Life at the monastery is arduous, but you serve a higher calling.
20. Dockworker – You are accustomed to manual labour and hearing dockside gossip.

Background Table 2

1. Drifter – You have walked many long and lonely roads.
2. Entertainer – You’ve traveled far with your charm and talent.
3. Farmer – Till, sow, reap, rest. You labour every day to feed your community.
4. Fisher – You know the local waters and the local gossip.
5. Fletcher – You know the value of turning wood, feather, and steel into a finely honed projectile.
6. Fur Trader – There’s a fortune to be made in furs. You’ve tried your best to prove that.
7. Glassblower – Blowing glass takes strong lungs and adept hands.
8. Gravedigger – You have faced death more than most.
9. Grifter – Everyone is a potential mark… even you.
10. Guard – Whether a person, or object, nothing gets past you.
11. Healer – You know what plants and salves can heal your kin.
12. Heir – The line of succession is rife with betrayal.
13. Herald – Your voice was meant to be heard, especially when you have something to say.
14. Hermit – You know how to survive far from the world.
15. Hired Hand – You excel at doing whatever needs to be done, and most of that is honest work.
16. Noble – Your family name has opened doors for you.
17. Innkeeper – You’ve heard countless stories from your patrons. It’s time to make some of your own.
18. Locksmith – A lock has a hard time stopping you from looking inside.
19. Mayor – You were the appointed leader of your small town, but that time is over.
20. Merchant – Everything has a price, and you intend to make a profit by selling it.

Background Table 3

1. Messenger – Whether in a city or the wilderness, you have a knack for finding shortcuts.
2. Miller – The locals pay you to mill their harvest, and you pay yourself with a bit of their grain.
3. Mountainfolk – The air in the lowlands is too thick. You prefer cold breaths on rocky slopes.
4. Orator – You know many tongues and many songs in each one.
5. Orphaned – An unusual guardian rescued and raised you.
6. Pickpocket – If those with money can’t keep it, they didn’t deserve it to begin with.
7. Pilgrim – You have traveled far in search of a holy place.
8. Prisoner – You’ve spent years in dungeons. The world outside seems strange.
9. Prophet – You have a “divine” message for the world.
10. Sacrifice – You were meant to die so your people could live. You chose to flee instead.
11. Sailor – Pirate, privateer, or merchant… the seas are yours.
12. Scholar – You know much about ancient history and lore.
13. Scribe – Writing comes easy to you…. as do more than a few secrets.
14. Seneschal – You are well versed in bureaucracy, and have curried a few powerful favours.
15. Servant – You know how to keep your head down, and ears open, while getting your work done in silence.
16. Shepherd – You roam the wilderness, guarding your flock with a staff and a sling.
17. Shipmate – You’ve sailed to distant lands and returned with strange cargo.
18. Shoemaker – You know the quality and fit of good footwear.
19. Silversmith – Your careful hands know how to work the most precious and delicate metals.
20. Soldier – You served as a fighter in an organized army.

Background Table 4

1. Spelunker – You’ve delved deep, and returned with treasures.
2. Stable Keeper – You feel at ease with animals, and they feel at ease with you.
3. Steppe Tribe – Your people roam an endless sea of grass on horseback.
4. Stoneworker – You know the value and structure of rock and stone.
5. Student – You know enough to be dangerous, but knowledge grows with diligence.
6. Survivalist – You’ve spent countless days in the wild.
7. Survivor – Something destroyed your home. It still haunts you.
8. Tailor – Well made clothes, make a well made person.
9. Tanner – You know how to work animal hides of all kinds.
10. Tavern Worker – You know how to keep people happy through food, drink, and stories.
11. Tax Collector – You understand local economics and debt laws. No one likes you.
12. Tinker – You know how to work with small tools and create intricate objects.
13. Trader – You will travel anywhere, trading whatever odds and ends you find.
14. Trapper – You respect the wilds, but have no compunction being a predator.
15. Troubadour – All the world is your stage, except the places you’ve been chased out of.
16. Urchin – You grew up in the merciless streets of a large city.
17. Wainwright – You know how to build and fix carts and wheels.
18. Weaver – Nothing excites you more than a finely woven garment, rug, or tapestry.
19. Wizard’s Apprectice – You have a knack and eye for magic.
20. Woodsman – You see the forest for the trees and know the dangers within.