Backgrounds

Backgrounds

The specific backgrounds of a character are as varied and different as the characters themselves, but all fall into one of the following categories. A character’s background determines which skills, if any, they have an affinity for. A character may choose their Background at any time, but it may not be changed once chosen.

Villager

Your formative years were spent in a rural environment. You may have picked up the basics of several physical activities and occupations. There would have been little to no access to formal education. Any access to weapons would have focused on hunting rather than combat.

Townsfolk

Your formative years were spent in a simple urban environment. While there were opportunities for learning some physical skills, there was also access to academic education. Access to weapons would have been limited to street fighting or the local militia.

Cityfolk

Your formative years were spent in a complex urban environment. Specialised education would be available as would a more shady education. Weapon training would be limited to street fighting.

Military Brat

Your formative years were spent in or around defender barracks. Crafts and occupational skills would be hard to come by, but weapons training and particular specialised academic skills could be found.

Apprentice

While your early childhood was spent with your family, you were apprenticed to a guild at a very early age. You may have had a single mentor, or several, travelling between guild houses, you ended up performing mostly menial but quite specialised tasks.

Guild Orphan

Your formative years were spent in a particular temple, college or tower. Academic skills and specialised education would be almost mandatory or at least expected.

Minor Nobility

Your formative years were spent with a silver spoon or similar in your mouth. Access to a tutor for formal skills, perhaps even a fencing master. However you have very limited knowledge of more practical occupational skills.

Nomad

Your formative years were spent travelling. With no set home, education and training that can be taught will on the move is easier than any that might require staying in one place. Skills that emphasise survival are stereotypical.

Using Background Skills

Background skills can be used for a variety of non-combat skills on a game where player thinks they might be relevant with agreement of the GM.

Example: A Patrol goes to Port Pilchard to fight some Sea Goblins and board a ship to attack the Goblin pirates. In the process, Broko has to sail a boat to a pirate cove. As a Nomad, he’s bought the Sailing skill and can perform the task without issue.

Buying Background and Stereotypical Skills

Background skills cost 5 CP each to purchase. A character may purchase up to 4 Background skills between Rank 2-10 which their background has access to. A character may purchase an additional background skill every 10 Ranks, starting at Rank 10, 20, 30 and so on.

Points spent on Background Skills may be offset against the cost of Stereotypical Skills. Stereotypical skills are also determined by a character’s Background and are discounted by the points a character has spent on Background skills before purchasing the Stereotypical skill.

A character may also purchase Background skills that are not part of their Background for 5 CP, providing they are allowed to purchase a Background Skill. These cannot be offset against Stereotypical Skills.

Example: Carabas is the grandson of a Marquis, but has become a Seeker. He want to be able to Swim, Gamble, Ride, Scribe and know maths. This is too many skills to start at rank 2.0, so in the end he just has Scribe and Accounting. He buys r/w runes (A Stereotypical Skill for Minor Nobility) which is absorbed by his background skills, and a pair of miracles. Later on, he finally gets around to buying willpower. This costs 9 points and is offset by the last of his stereotype points.

Example: Crowfoot is a Nomad. At rank 2.0 he picks up 4 background skills, Swimming, Riding, Animal Farming, Tanning. He offsets some of this with stereotypical skills. At Rank 20 he can learn another background skill. He picks Cooking for 5 points. At Rank 22 he learns dagger mastery, which he gets a 5 point discount on.

Example: Ivan is from a mining village in the mountains. He decides to take the background skills of Mining and swimming at a cost of 10 points during character creation. He also buys some stereotypical skills. Strength (25 points) and Toughness (12 points) along with one-handed hammer and armour skills. As his stereotypical skills cost more than his background skills, he doesn’t spend any extra points.

Example: Ketch is a rank 40ish Justice priest who never chose a background. He meets some other characters that makes him interested in Carpentry. He can spend 5 points learning Carpentry now, and then if he spends points on a stereotypical skill afterwards, if will be discounted. He cannot claim to have had Carpentry skill all along, just that he had a Townsfolk background.

Background Skills

Skill Villager Townsfolk Cityfolk Military Brat Apprentice Guild Orphan Minor Nobility Nomad
Accounting No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Animal Husbandry Yes No No No No No Yes Yes
Barding No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Blacksmithing Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No
Brewing Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes
Carpentry Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Cooking Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes
Crop Farming Yes No No No No No Yes No
Gambling No No Yes Yes No No Yes No
Lock Picking No No Yes Yes No No Yes No
Mining Yes No No No No Yes No No
Pick-pocketing No No Yes Yes No No Yes No
Pottery Yes Yes No No No No No Yes
Riding Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Rowing Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes
Sailing Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes
Scribing No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Service No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Squiring No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Swimming Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tailoring No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Tanning Yes Yes No No No No No Yes

Stereotypical Skills

Skill Villager Townsfolk Cityfolk Military Brat Apprentice Guild Orphan Minor Nobility Nomad
1H Weapon skill No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2H Weapon skill No No No Yes No No No No
Staff skill Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Club skill Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes
Dagger skill Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
Throwing Weapon skill Yes Yes No Yes No No No No
Shield skill No No No Yes No No Yes No
Bow skill Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes
Fist skill Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes
Armour skills No No No Yes No No Yes No
Strength Yes No No Yes No No No Yes
Toughness Yes No No Yes No No No Yes
Willpower No Yes Yes No No No Yes No
Read/Write runes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Skinning Yes No No No No No No Yes
Recognise Creature/Tracks/Smell Yes No No No No No No Yes
Evaluate No Yes Yes No No No No Yes
Prayer/Meditate Yes No No No Yes Yes No No
Medical Skills No No No Yes Yes Yes No No
Dexterity No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes
Work with Cabal/Conclave Yes No No No Yes Yes No No