Creating a Custom Background

Lesson 91 began the:

GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX

with advanced travel.

Now we move to a completely different Game Master tool:

CREATING A BACKGROUND

Earlier, in Lesson 51, you learned the four complete backgrounds provided in the SRD 5.2.1:

ACOLYTE

CRIMINAL

SAGE

and:

SOLDIER

Those backgrounds represent what a character did before becoming an adventurer.

But a campaign might contain cultures, professions, organizations, or character concepts that aren't represented perfectly by those four options.

The Gameplay Toolbox therefore gives a structured method for creating:

A NEW BACKGROUND

or:

CUSTOMIZING AN EXISTING BACKGROUND

The purpose isn't to invent arbitrary bonuses.

The SRD gives you a specific framework consisting of:

THREE ABILITIES

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

and:

AN EQUIPMENT PACKAGE WORTH 50 GP

 

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to design a background that fits a character's story while remaining inside the mechanical structure established by the SRD 5.2.1.

PART ONE: WHAT A BACKGROUND REPRESENTS

A background represents:

WHAT THE CHARACTER DID BEFORE BECOMING AN ADVENTURER

It can reflect things such as:

AN OCCUPATION

A WAY OF LIFE

A FORM OF TRAINING

A SOCIAL ROLE

A RELIGIOUS CALLING

A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

or:

A PARTICULAR PART OF THE CAMPAIGN WORLD

The SRD specifically explains that creating or customizing a background can help reflect:

THE THEME OF THE CAMPAIGN

ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD

or:

THE STORY A PLAYER HAS IN MIND FOR A CHARACTER

 

The background therefore connects:

STORY

with:

GAME MECHANICS

EXAMPLE

Imagine a character who spent years guiding caravans across dangerous frontiers.

There is no SRD background called:

FRONTIER GUIDE

But the Gameplay Toolbox allows the GM to create one using:

THE SAME BACKGROUND STRUCTURE

rather than inventing an entirely new subsystem.

PART TWO: THE FIVE STEP FRAMEWORK

Creating a background uses five steps.

STEP 1

Choose:

THREE ABILITIES

STEP 2

Choose:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

STEP 3

Choose:

TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES

STEP 4

Choose:

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

STEP 5

Create:

AN EQUIPMENT PACKAGE WORTH 50 GP

including any:

UNSPENT GOLD

The equipment package can't include:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

or:

ARMOR

 

That is the entire mechanical skeleton.

The story can be as imaginative as your campaign requires.

The mechanical structure remains:

FIVE DEFINED CHOICES

PART THREE: STEP 1, CHOOSE THREE ABILITIES

Choose three abilities that make sense for the background.

The SRD provides guidance for matching abilities to different kinds of past experience.

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY

These are especially appropriate for backgrounds involving:

PHYSICAL EXERTION

Examples might include:

LABOR

ATHLETIC TRAINING

HUNTING

SCOUTING

MANUAL CRAFT

or another physically demanding life.

These examples are narrative illustrations.

They do not create new mechanical rules.

CONSTITUTION

Constitution is particularly appropriate for backgrounds involving:

ENDURANCE

or:

LONG HOURS OF ACTIVITY

A character accustomed to exhausting work or harsh conditions might reasonably have Constitution among the background's three abilities.

INTELLIGENCE OR WISDOM

One or both are particularly appropriate for:

CEREBRAL

or:

SPIRITUAL

backgrounds.

Examples could include study, observation, scholarship, religious training, wilderness experience, or contemplative traditions.

Again, those are examples.

The actual SRD rule is simply to choose:

THREE APPROPRIATE ABILITIES

CHARISMA

Charisma is particularly appropriate for a background involving:

PERFORMANCE

or:

SOCIAL INTERACTION

A negotiator, entertainer, diplomat, public speaker, or similar character concept might reasonably include Charisma.

PART FOUR: YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CHOOSE ONE ABILITY FROM EACH GROUP

The SRD does not tell you to choose:

ONE PHYSICAL

ONE MENTAL

and:

ONE SOCIAL

ability.

It says:

CHOOSE THREE ABILITIES THAT SEEM APPROPRIATE

So these are all potentially valid structures if the background concept supports them:

STRENGTH, DEXTERITY, CONSTITUTION

or:

CONSTITUTION, INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM

or:

INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, CHARISMA

or another appropriate group of three.

The guidance explains:

WHY AN ABILITY MIGHT FIT

It doesn't create a mandatory formula.

PART FIVE: HOW THE BACKGROUND ABILITY INCREASE WORKS

Remember the general background rule from Character Origins.

A background lists:

THREE ABILITIES

When applying that background, increase those abilities in one of two ways.

OPTION 1

Increase one listed ability by:

PLUS 2

and a different listed ability by:

PLUS 1

OPTION 2

Increase all three listed abilities by:

PLUS 1 EACH

None of these increases can raise an Ability Score above:

20

 

EXAMPLE

Custom background abilities:

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

WISDOM

You might choose:

Dexterity:

PLUS 2

Wisdom:

PLUS 1

Constitution:

NO INCREASE

Or:

Dexterity:

PLUS 1

Constitution:

PLUS 1

Wisdom:

PLUS 1

Both use the ordinary background Ability Score rules.

IMPORTANT

Choosing three background abilities does not mean:

ALL THREE AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE PLUS 2

It also doesn't give:

THREE FREE ABILITY SCORE INCREASES OF ANY SIZE

The normal background increase rule still applies.

PART SIX: STEP 2, CHOOSE AN ORIGIN FEAT

Next choose:

ONE FEAT FROM THE ORIGIN CATEGORY

 

This category requirement matters.

You aren't told:

CHOOSE ANY FEAT

You are specifically told:

CHOOSE AN ORIGIN FEAT

The SRD 5.2.1 provides four Origin Feats:

ALERT

MAGIC INITIATE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

and:

SKILLED

 

ALERT

Alert represents strong readiness and awareness in dangerous situations.

Its actual mechanical benefits were covered in Lesson 57.

The important point here is:

ALERT IS AN ELIGIBLE ORIGIN FEAT

MAGIC INITIATE

Magic Initiate can represent a background that involved some magical instruction.

When selecting it, follow the complete feat rules from Lesson 57.

The background itself does not create:

NEW SPELLS

or:

A NEW SPELL LIST

It grants:

THE EXISTING MAGIC INITIATE FEAT

and that feat determines the mechanics.

SAVAGE ATTACKER

Savage Attacker can fit a background involving significant weapon training.

Again, use:

THE ACTUAL FEAT

Do not add extra weapon bonuses because the background sounds martial.

SKILLED

Skilled grants additional proficiencies according to:

THE FEAT'S OWN RULES

A background based around broad practical training might use it.

IMPORTANT

The custom background receives:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

It does not receive:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT PLUS AN EXTRA CUSTOM FEATURE

unless some other rule independently grants something.

The SRD background framework already tells you what belongs in this slot.

PART SEVEN: A BACKGROUND FEAT IS NOT A GENERAL FEAT

Suppose you want to give the background:

GRAPPLER

Can you simply choose it because it sounds appropriate?

NO

Grappler belongs to:

THE GENERAL FEAT CATEGORY

The custom background rule specifically requires:

AN ORIGIN FEAT

The same principle applies to:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATS

and:

EPIC BOON FEATS

They are not interchangeable with the Origin category.

PART EIGHT: STEP 3, CHOOSE TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES

Choose:

TWO SKILLS

appropriate for the background.

This choice reflects what the character learned to do during their previous life.

EXAMPLES

A wilderness focused background might reasonably use:

SURVIVAL

and:

PERCEPTION

A scholarly background might use:

ARCANA

and:

HISTORY

A social background might use:

PERSUASION

and:

INSIGHT

These are examples of possible thematic combinations.

The SRD rule gives you the freedom to choose:

TWO APPROPRIATE SKILLS

PART NINE: THE SKILLS DO NOT HAVE TO MATCH THE THREE ABILITIES

This is an explicit SRD rule.

There does not need to be a relationship between:

THE SKILL PROFICIENCIES

and:

THE ABILITIES THE BACKGROUND INCREASES

 

This is important because a background is intended to represent:

A BROAD LIFE EXPERIENCE

rather than a perfectly optimized mechanical package.

EXAMPLE

A background chooses:

STRENGTH

CONSTITUTION

CHARISMA

as its abilities.

Could its skills be:

RELIGION

and:

INSIGHT?

YES

The SRD doesn't require those skills to correspond directly to the chosen three abilities.

COMMON BEGINNER ASSUMPTION

A player might think:

“IF I CHOOSE STRENGTH, I HAVE TO TAKE ATHLETICS.”

That is:

NOT A RULE

Athletics might make thematic sense.

But the custom background rules don't require it.

PART TEN: STEP 4, CHOOSE ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

Choose:

ONE TOOL

that was used in the practice of the background or is commonly associated with it.

Examples from the SRD's tool system include:

HERBALISM KIT

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

THIEVES' TOOLS

FORGERY KIT

DISGUISE KIT

ARTISAN'S TOOLS

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

and:

GAMING SETS

depending on the background concept.

EXAMPLE

A character who spent years guiding ships might reasonably have proficiency with:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

A performer might use:

A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

A herbal healer might use:

HERBALISM KIT

A professional scribe might use:

CALLIGRAPHER'S SUPPLIES

The tool should make sense for:

WHAT THE CHARACTER ACTUALLY DID

PART ELEVEN: TOOL PROFICIENCY IS NOT OWNERSHIP

Choosing:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS PROFICIENCY

does not automatically mean:

THE CHARACTER OWNS NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

The proficiency and the physical item are:

DIFFERENT THINGS

If you want the character to begin with that tool, you can include it in the:

50 GP EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

if the cost permits.

This distinction was established when we studied Tools in Lesson 65.

PART TWELVE: STEP 5, CREATE THE EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

The final step is to assemble:

AN EQUIPMENT PACKAGE WORTH 50 GP

The 50 GP total includes:

UNSPENT GOLD

 

So you don't have to spend every coin.

EXAMPLE

Suppose your chosen equipment costs:

34 GP

You can include:

16 GP UNSPENT

Total:

34 + 16 =

50 GP

THE PACKAGE CAN'T INCLUDE MARTIAL WEAPONS OR ARMOR

This restriction is explicit.

Do not include:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

or:

ARMOR

The SRD explains that characters receive those through:

THEIR CLASS CHOICES

 

SIMPLE WEAPONS

Notice what the rule actually forbids:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

It doesn't say:

ALL WEAPONS

So a Simple weapon can be included if it fits the background and the 50 GP budget.

For example, the SRD lists a Dagger as a Simple Melee weapon costing:

2 GP

 

PART THIRTEEN: EQUIPMENT MUST FIT INSIDE THE BUDGET

The equipment package isn't:

50 GP PLUS WHATEVER EQUIPMENT YOU WANT

The package's total value is:

50 GP

including:

THE GOLD LEFT OVER

WRONG EXAMPLE

Equipment:

50 GP OF ITEMS

plus:

20 GP

Total:

70 GP

That exceeds the custom background framework.

CORRECT EXAMPLE

Equipment:

37 GP OF ITEMS

plus:

13 GP

Total:

50 GP

PART FOURTEEN: THE STANDARD BACKGROUND STRUCTURE STILL MATTERS

Remember the general definition of a background.

A background includes:

THREE ABILITY SCORES

A SPECIFIED ORIGIN FEAT

TWO SPECIFIED SKILL PROFICIENCIES

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

and:

EQUIPMENT

The standard background descriptions also offer:

AN EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

or:

50 GP

 

The Gameplay Toolbox explains how to construct the custom version of those same pieces.

So you are not creating:

A NEW CHARACTER SUBSYSTEM

You are constructing:

A NEW BACKGROUND USING THE EXISTING BACKGROUND SUBSYSTEM

PART FIFTEEN: WHAT A CUSTOM BACKGROUND DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY GIVE

The custom background procedure does not tell you to add:

EXTRA HIT POINTS

ARMOR TRAINING

WEAPON MASTERY

SPELL SLOTS

CLASS FEATURES

DAMAGE RESISTANCE

A UNIQUE SPECIAL POWER

or:

AN EXTRA FEAT

Those would require:

ANOTHER RULE

The custom background itself contains only the components specified by:

THE FIVE STEP FRAMEWORK

This is an important rule design lesson.

A narrative concept doesn't automatically justify:

AN EXTRA MECHANICAL BONUS

PART SIXTEEN: STORY FREEDOM DOES NOT REQUIRE NEW MECHANICS

Imagine a background called:

DRAGON TEMPLE INITIATE

Its story might say the character:

STUDIED ANCIENT DRAGON LORE

TRAINED IN A MOUNTAIN MONASTERY

GUARDED SACRED TEXTS

and:

LEARNED CEREMONIAL DISCIPLINE

None of those story elements automatically creates:

DRAGON DAMAGE

FIRE RESISTANCE

SPELLCASTING

or:

A SPECIAL COMBAT ACTION

Instead, represent that story through the established background pieces.

For example:

Abilities:

STRENGTH

WISDOM

CHARISMA

Feat:

ALERT

Skills:

ATHLETICS

RELIGION

Tool:

CALLIGRAPHER'S SUPPLIES

Then build a legal 50 GP equipment package.

The name and history are:

NARRATIVE

The five mechanical components are:

RULES

That distinction allows enormous creative freedom without inventing unsupported mechanics.

PART SEVENTEEN: COMPLETE WORKED EXAMPLE

Now we will build a background from beginning to end.

This background is:

AN ORIGINAL EXAMPLE

It is not one of the four published SRD background descriptions.

Its mechanics use the SRD 5.2.1 custom background rules.

FRONTIER GUIDE

The character spent years leading travelers through dangerous wilderness, reading maps, noticing hazards, finding routes, and surviving far from civilization.

STEP 1: CHOOSE THREE ABILITIES

We choose:

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

WISDOM

Why?

Dexterity represents:

PHYSICAL AGILITY

Constitution represents:

ENDURANCE

Wisdom represents:

AWARENESS AND WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

This reasoning is:

AN EXAMPLE

The actual rule simply requires three appropriate abilities.

STEP 2: CHOOSE AN ORIGIN FEAT

Choose:

ALERT

This fits a guide accustomed to noticing danger quickly.

Alert is an actual:

SRD 5.2.1 ORIGIN FEAT

 

STEP 3: CHOOSE TWO SKILLS

Choose:

PERCEPTION

and:

SURVIVAL

These represent noticing danger and navigating the wilderness.

STEP 4: CHOOSE ONE TOOL

Choose:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

Navigator's Tools cost:

25 GP

and can be used for such tasks as plotting a course or determining position by the stars according to their tool entry.

STEP 5: CREATE THE 50 GP PACKAGE

We choose:

Navigator's Tools:

25 GP

Explorer's Pack:

10 GP

Traveler's Clothes:

2 GP

Dagger:

2 GP

Map:

1 GP

Unspent gold:

10 GP

Now calculate:

25 + 10 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 10 =

50 GP

The relevant equipment prices are found in the SRD Equipment section.

The Dagger is:

A SIMPLE WEAPON

so it doesn't violate the custom background prohibition against:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

The package contains:

NO ARMOR

Therefore the package fits the custom background equipment framework.

PART EIGHTEEN: FINISHED FRONTIER GUIDE

The completed example is:

FRONTIER GUIDE

Abilities:

DEXTERITY, CONSTITUTION, WISDOM

Origin Feat:

ALERT

Skill Proficiencies:

PERCEPTION, SURVIVAL

Tool Proficiency:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

Equipment:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

EXPLORER'S PACK

TRAVELER'S CLOTHES

DAGGER

MAP

10 GP

That is a complete custom background.

Nothing else needs to be invented mechanically.

PART NINETEEN: APPLYING THE ABILITY INCREASES

Now imagine a character chooses Frontier Guide.

Before the background increases:

Dexterity:

15

Constitution:

13

Wisdom:

14

The background lists:

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

WISDOM

The player could choose:

Dexterity:

15 + 2 =

17

Wisdom:

14 + 1 =

15

Constitution remains:

13

Or choose:

Dexterity:

15 + 1 =

16

Constitution:

13 + 1 =

14

Wisdom:

14 + 1 =

15

Both are valid ways to apply the standard:

BACKGROUND ABILITY SCORE INCREASE

PART TWENTY: A SECOND QUICK EXAMPLE

Consider an original background called:

TRAVELING PERFORMER

Again, this is:

AN EXAMPLE

not an additional published SRD background.

A possible legal framework could be:

Abilities:

DEXTERITY

WISDOM

CHARISMA

Origin Feat:

SKILLED

Skill Proficiencies:

ACROBATICS

PERFORMANCE

Tool Proficiency:

FLUTE

The SRD lists the Flute as a Musical Instrument costing:

2 GP

 

The equipment package would then be built to a total value of:

50 GP

without Martial weapons or armor.

Notice that we didn't invent:

AUDIENCE CONTROL

FREE SPELLCASTING

SPECIAL INCOME

or:

MAGICAL MUSIC

The background remains inside the:

STANDARD SRD FRAMEWORK

PART TWENTY ONE: A THIRD QUICK EXAMPLE

Consider:

TEMPLE SCHOLAR

Possible abilities:

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

CHARISMA

Origin Feat:

MAGIC INITIATE

Skills:

HISTORY

RELIGION

Tool:

CALLIGRAPHER'S SUPPLIES

Again:

THIS IS AN ORIGINAL EXAMPLE

The mechanics are assembled from existing SRD components.

The background's story could be completely unique to a campaign.

Its mechanics remain:

STANDARDIZED

PART TWENTY TWO: BACKGROUND AND CLASS ARE DIFFERENT

A background represents:

WHAT YOU DID BEFORE ADVENTURING

A Class represents:

YOUR ADVENTURING CAPABILITIES AND PROGRESSION

Do not turn a background into:

A MINI CLASS

EXAMPLE

A former soldier background might explain:

MILITARY TRAINING

But it doesn't automatically grant:

EXTRA ATTACK

That is a Class feature when a Class says so.

A temple scholar might have studied magic.

That doesn't automatically grant:

WIZARD SPELLCASTING

If you choose Magic Initiate, it grants only:

WHAT MAGIC INITIATE ACTUALLY SAYS

The distinction protects both:

CHARACTER IDENTITY

and:

RULES CLARITY

PART TWENTY THREE: BACKGROUND AND SPECIES ARE DIFFERENT

A background is not your:

SPECIES

Species gives the traits associated with your character's:

FORM OF SAPIENT LIFE

Background represents:

THE FORMATIVE LIFE YOU LIVED BEFORE ADVENTURING

A Dwarf, Human, Elf, Orc, Tiefling, or any other available SRD species could potentially share:

THE SAME BACKGROUND

if that background makes sense in the campaign.

EXAMPLE

Two characters might both have:

FRONTIER GUIDE

One could be:

HUMAN

Another:

ORC

The background mechanics can be the same.

Their Species traits remain:

DIFFERENT

PART TWENTY FOUR: BACKGROUND AND PERSONALITY ARE DIFFERENT

The background tells you something about:

YOUR HISTORY

It doesn't completely dictate:

YOUR PERSONALITY

Two Soldiers could be:

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE

One might be disciplined and honorable.

Another might hate military authority after a terrible war.

Both can still use:

SOLDIER

Likewise, two characters using the same custom background don't need identical:

BELIEFS

GOALS

ALIGNMENTS

or:

PERSONALITIES

The mechanical background is:

A FOUNDATION

not the entirety of the character.

PART TWENTY FIVE: USING CUSTOM BACKGROUNDS AS A GM TOOL

Because this procedure appears in the:

GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX

it is particularly useful when the GM wants backgrounds tailored to:

THE CAMPAIGN WORLD

Suppose a campaign contains a major organization of:

DESERT CARAVAN GUIDES

The GM could create one standardized background for characters raised in that tradition.

Another campaign might feature:

ARCANE ACADEMIES

NAVAL EXPLORERS

ROYAL MESSENGERS

MOUNTAIN CLANS

or:

TEMPLE SCRIBES

Each could receive its own background using:

THE SAME FIVE STEPS

The lore changes.

The rules framework stays:

CONSISTENT

PART TWENTY SIX: CUSTOMIZING AN EXISTING BACKGROUND

The SRD also explicitly mentions:

CUSTOMIZING AN EXISTING BACKGROUND

 

That means the GM doesn't always need to begin from:

A BLANK PAGE

Suppose:

SAGE

is almost right for the campaign concept.

You can use the custom background framework to create a version that reflects:

THE PARTICULAR THEME

rather than inventing an entirely unrelated system.

The key is that the finished background still follows:

THREE ABILITIES

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

TWO SKILLS

ONE TOOL

50 GP EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

PART TWENTY SEVEN: THE FRAMEWORK IS THE LIMIT

A useful practical way to think about custom backgrounds is:

STORY CAN EXPAND

while:

MECHANICAL SLOTS STAY FIXED

For example, the story might say:

“YOU WERE RAISED IN A FORTRESS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD AND TRAINED TO GUIDE PILGRIMS THROUGH MONSTER HAUNTED PASSES.”

That sounds elaborate.

Mechanically it might still be only:

Abilities:

STRENGTH, CONSTITUTION, WISDOM

Feat:

ALERT

Skills:

ATHLETICS, SURVIVAL

Tool:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

Equipment:

50 GP PACKAGE

That is enough.

You don't need to add another rule for every sentence of:

BACKSTORY

PART TWENTY EIGHT: COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1: CHOOSING FOUR ABILITIES

A custom background chooses:

THREE

MISTAKE 2: CHOOSING ONLY TWO ABILITIES

Again:

EXACTLY THREE

MISTAKE 3: THINKING ALL THREE ABILITIES GET PLUS 2

The actual increase is either:

PLUS 2 TO ONE AND PLUS 1 TO ANOTHER

or:

PLUS 1 TO ALL THREE

MISTAKE 4: RAISING AN ABILITY ABOVE 20 THROUGH THE BACKGROUND

The background increases:

CAN'T DO THAT

MISTAKE 5: CHOOSING ANY FEAT

The feat must come from:

THE ORIGIN CATEGORY

MISTAKE 6: CHOOSING A GENERAL FEAT SUCH AS GRAPPLER

Not valid for this slot.

The background specifically grants:

AN ORIGIN FEAT

MISTAKE 7: INVENTING A NEW FEAT BECAUSE THE BACKGROUND NEEDS ONE

The SRD procedure says:

CHOOSE ONE ORIGIN FEAT

Use a qualifying feat.

MISTAKE 8: GIVING THREE SKILL PROFICIENCIES

The background gives:

TWO

If the character gains additional skills from another feature such as Skilled, that is:

A SEPARATE RULE

MISTAKE 9: FORCING SKILLS TO MATCH THE THREE ABILITIES

The SRD explicitly says:

THEY DON'T NEED TO MATCH

MISTAKE 10: CHOOSING MULTIPLE TOOL PROFICIENCIES

The background's tool slot gives:

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

Other features might grant more separately.

MISTAKE 11: CONFUSING TOOL PROFICIENCY WITH OWNING THE TOOL

They are:

DIFFERENT

MISTAKE 12: SPENDING 50 GP AND THEN ADDING EXTRA GOLD

The equipment package total is:

50 GP INCLUDING UNSPENT GOLD

MISTAKE 13: INCLUDING A MARTIAL WEAPON

The custom equipment package says:

DON'T INCLUDE MARTIAL WEAPONS

MISTAKE 14: INCLUDING ARMOR

The custom package says:

DON'T INCLUDE ARMOR

MISTAKE 15: THINKING NO WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED

The restriction is specifically against:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

A Simple weapon can fit the framework if the budget and concept support it.

MISTAKE 16: ADDING A SPECIAL BACKGROUND POWER

The five step procedure does not grant:

AN EXTRA UNIQUE FEATURE

MISTAKE 17: GIVING SPELLCASTING JUST BECAUSE THE BACKGROUND WAS MAGICAL

If magical training is represented through:

MAGIC INITIATE

then use:

MAGIC INITIATE'S ACTUAL RULES

The background name itself doesn't grant spellcasting.

MISTAKE 18: GIVING ARMOR TRAINING BECAUSE THE CHARACTER USED TO BE A GUARD

Armor Training must come from:

A RULE THAT GRANTS IT

The custom background procedure does not.

MISTAKE 19: GIVING WEAPON MASTERY BECAUSE THE BACKGROUND WAS MARTIAL

Weapon Mastery must also come from:

A RULE THAT GRANTS IT

MISTAKE 20: TREATING THE BACKGROUND LIKE A SECOND CLASS

Background:

PRE ADVENTURING LIFE

Class:

ADVENTURING PROGRESSION

They serve different purposes.

MISTAKE 21: THINKING THE BACKGROUND MUST DETERMINE PERSONALITY

It doesn't.

It describes:

FORMATIVE HISTORY

not every aspect of the character.

MISTAKE 22: THINKING A CUSTOM BACKGROUND IS AUTOMATICALLY HOME BREWED MECHANICS

The SRD itself provides:

A CUSTOM BACKGROUND CREATION FRAMEWORK

A background created strictly with those rules is using:

THE SRD GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX PROCEDURE

The name and story can be original while the mechanical structure remains entirely SRD based.

QUICK RECAP

A custom background represents:

WHAT THE CHARACTER DID BEFORE BECOMING AN ADVENTURER

To build one:

STEP 1

Choose:

THREE APPROPRIATE ABILITIES

Then the normal background Ability Score rule allows:

PLUS 2 AND PLUS 1

or:

PLUS 1 TO ALL THREE

Maximum:

20

STEP 2

Choose:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

The SRD Origin Feats are:

ALERT

MAGIC INITIATE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

SKILLED

STEP 3

Choose:

TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES

They:

DON'T HAVE TO MATCH THE THREE ABILITIES

STEP 4

Choose:

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

appropriate to the background.

STEP 5

Build:

A 50 GP EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

including:

UNSPENT GOLD

Do not include:

MARTIAL WEAPONS

or:

ARMOR

The finished background therefore has:

THREE ABILITIES

ONE ORIGIN FEAT

TWO SKILLS

ONE TOOL

ONE 50 GP EQUIPMENT PACKAGE

That is the SRD 5.2.1 framework.

PRIME HERO CHALLENGE

You are the GM.

A player tells you:

“MY CHARACTER GREW UP AS A WILDERNESS COURIER, CARRYING MESSAGES BETWEEN REMOTE SETTLEMENTS.”

Build the background.

CHALLENGE 1: ABILITIES

Choose three appropriate abilities.

One reasonable example:

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

WISDOM

Is this the only legal answer?

NO

The rule requires:

THREE APPROPRIATE ABILITIES

Different choices could be justified by a different interpretation of the background.

CHALLENGE 2: ORIGIN FEAT

The player wants:

ALERT

Eligible?

YES

Alert is:

AN ORIGIN FEAT

CHALLENGE 3: GENERAL FEAT

The player instead wants:

GRAPPLER

Eligible for the background feat slot?

NO

It is not an:

ORIGIN FEAT

CHALLENGE 4: SKILLS

Choose:

SURVIVAL

and:

PERCEPTION

Legal?

YES

Two appropriate skills.

CHALLENGE 5: TOOL

Choose:

NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS

Legal?

YES

It is an appropriate tool for the concept.

CHALLENGE 6: EQUIPMENT

The player selects:

Navigator's Tools:

25 GP

Explorer's Pack:

10 GP

Traveler's Clothes:

2 GP

Dagger:

2 GP

Map:

1 GP

How much gold remains?

25 + 10 + 2 + 2 + 1 =

40 GP

50 minus 40 =

10 GP

Final package:

50 GP TOTAL

CHALLENGE 7: MARTIAL WEAPON

The player wants to replace the Dagger with a:

LONGSWORD

Can the custom background package contain it?

NO

The Longsword is a:

MARTIAL WEAPON

and the custom equipment rule prohibits Martial weapons.

CHALLENGE 8: ABILITY INCREASE

Background abilities:

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

WISDOM

Player chooses:

Dexterity:

PLUS 2

Wisdom:

PLUS 1

Legal?

YES

CHALLENGE 9

Player instead chooses:

Dexterity:

PLUS 2

Constitution:

PLUS 2

Wisdom:

PLUS 2

Legal?

NO

That exceeds the normal background increase structure.

CHALLENGE 10: EXTRA FEATURE

The player says:

“BECAUSE I WAS A COURIER, I SHOULD ALSO GET PLUS 10 FEET OF SPEED.”

Does the custom background procedure grant that?

NO

The background can tell that story.

But:

NO SRD RULE IN THIS PROCEDURE GRANTS THAT SPEED BONUS

That would require:

A DIFFERENT RULE

LESSON 92: KEY TAKEAWAYS

Creating a custom background is one of the clearest examples of how the SRD 5.2.1 combines:

CREATIVE FREEDOM

with:

MECHANICAL STRUCTURE

The Game Master can create a background that fits almost any campaign culture, profession, organization, or character history without inventing an entirely new rules system.

Remember:

A BACKGROUND REPRESENTS THE CHARACTER'S FORMATIVE LIFE BEFORE ADVENTURING

CUSTOM BACKGROUNDS ARE EXPLICITLY SUPPORTED BY THE GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX

CHOOSE THREE APPROPRIATE ABILITIES

THE BACKGROUND INCREASE IS PLUS 2 AND PLUS 1, OR PLUS 1 TO ALL THREE

BACKGROUND INCREASES CAN'T RAISE A SCORE ABOVE 20

CHOOSE EXACTLY ONE ORIGIN FEAT

THE SRD ORIGIN FEATS ARE ALERT, MAGIC INITIATE, SAVAGE ATTACKER, AND SKILLED

CHOOSE TWO APPROPRIATE SKILL PROFICIENCIES

THE SKILLS DON'T NEED TO MATCH THE THREE BACKGROUND ABILITIES

CHOOSE ONE APPROPRIATE TOOL PROFICIENCY

TOOL PROFICIENCY AND TOOL OWNERSHIP ARE DIFFERENT

BUILD AN EQUIPMENT PACKAGE WORTH 50 GP INCLUDING UNSPENT GOLD

DON'T INCLUDE MARTIAL WEAPONS OR ARMOR IN THAT PACKAGE

A CUSTOM BACKGROUND DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY GRANT EXTRA CLASS FEATURES, SPELLCASTING, ARMOR TRAINING, WEAPON MASTERY, OR UNIQUE POWERS

THE STORY CAN BE COMPLETELY ORIGINAL

while:

THE MECHANICS REMAIN WITHIN THE SRD FRAMEWORK

The fundamental design principle is simple:

CREATE THE STORY YOU WANT

then express that story through:

THE RULES THAT ACTUALLY EXIST

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 93: CURSES AND MAGICAL CONTAGIONS

The next Gameplay Toolbox lesson moves into a far darker area of Game Master design:

CURSES

and:

MAGICAL CONTAGIONS

We will examine how the SRD 5.2.1 handles concepts such as:

BESTOW CURSE AS A POWER BENCHMARK

CURSED CREATURES

CURSED MAGIC ITEMS

NARRATIVE CURSES

ENVIRONMENTAL CURSES

DEMONIC POSSESSION

and:

CONTAGIOUS MAGICAL EFFECTS

The key question will no longer be:

“WHO WAS THIS CHARACTER BEFORE THE ADVENTURE?”

It will become:

“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SUPERNATURAL EVIL CHANGES THE RULES OF THEIR LIFE?”

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.