bible backgrounds

Forsaken
You are an outcast from society. You travel the world
less out of a need for adventure, and more because you
know that you will never truly be accepted no matter where
you go, or what you do. Maybe you will travel with a party
of adventurers for a time, but these relationships never
seem to last. Your faith has also been a struggle. You feel
no sense of connection to your deity, and your prayers go
unanswered.
Those who are forsaken can come from any city,
religion, or walk of life. Rich or poor, young or old,
sometimes people just fall on hard times. Begin by
choosing the cause of your misfortune. Choose from the
table on the next page, roll to determine it randomly, or
invent your own!
d8 Misfortune
1 You have contracted leprosy. This debilitating skin condition
will continue to grow worse, and will eventually kill you. You
are unwelcome in all cities unless you hide your appearance.
2 Your family is dead, your friends have abandoned you, and
your land was seized by Roman soldiers. You were once a
highly respected citizen... now you’re just looking for answers.
3 You are a slave from the grand palace of Splendor’s Envy in
the central district of Ecbatana. Since you were a witness to
many high-profile conversations in the palace chambers, your
escape has landed you on a most-wanted list for both the Parthian
and Roman authorities. Nowhere is safe for you.
4 You were born with a physical deformity or disability. Because
of the widespread belief in most societies that your appearance
is a punishment from God for a serious sin your parents must
have committed, there are very few cities that will tolerate
your presence.
5 Your father was a tax collector for the Roman empire who
allegedly stole a great fortune from the treasury. He was executed,
but the Roman authorities now hold you responsible for
his debt, believing that you are in possession of this fortune.
6 When you were a child an angel appeared to you and asked if
you were ready to have your faith in God tested. Ever since
you replied “yes,” you have had a string of unexplainable bad
luck. You patiently await the day that it all finally makes sense.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: A musical instrument of your
choice, thieves’ tools
Equipment: Disguise kit, a Bedouin tent, a pouch
containing 5 gp.
Feature: Underground Network
Your life of exclusion has caused you make connections
with various other communities of outcasts. If you spend at
least one day in a major city, you learn the location of the
local leper colony, criminal hideout, secret gambling hall,
or other local community of outcasts. This underground
network can provide you with information that is not
known to the common people of the city, including
methods of secret travel (tunnels, alleyways, rooftops, etc.)
through the city, locations of safe commerce (black markets
or thieves guilds that will still do business with you), and
allies within the establishment (doctors, politicians, or
guards who are sympathetic to your situation).
Gladiator
Nothing feels more like home to you than the roar of
the crowds in the Circus arena. Maybe you are a retired
soldier from the Roman legion and you compete to feel the
thrill of combat once more. Maybe you were once a slave
meant for execution, but you surprised the crowds (and
yourself) by besting your opponents and eventually earning
your freedom in the eyes of the empire. Or perhaps you just
enjoy putting on a good show and love hearing the crowds
cheer your name.
Gladiators come in all shapes and sizes, and from all
walks of life. The most successful in their field understand
that victory in the arena has as much to do with putting on
a good show as it does with one’s talent as a fighter. The
Gladiators who are paid to perform at festivals and other
large events often have catchy names, signature weapons,
memorable colors, or unique armor.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Chariots, Land Vehicles
Equipment: One exotic weapon of your choice or a
shield marked with your emblem, a letter from a talent
scout inviting you to perform at a festival in a city you have
never been to, and a pouch containing 12 gp.
Signature Look
In order to gain renown in your field, you have
developed a signature look that allows fans to easily
recognize you in the arena. This may be brightly colored
armor or unique weaponry, a distinctive mark or scar you
display, or a unique finishing move you use in combat.
New Background Options
23
Whatever it is, make sure your signature look sets you apart
from your competitors.
Feature: Local Champion
Your performance in the arena can sometimes earn you
renown among the locals. If you put on a good show at a
public event, local establishments will let you eat and drink
for free, and sometimes provide a place to stay at a local
inn. Also, it is likely that you will be recognized on the
street, and local citizens who watched your performance
are more likely to help you. You have advantage on all
Charisma checks while interacting with people in a city
where you have competed in an arena.
Variant Gladiator: Charioteer
Charioteers often travel in the same circles as gladiators,
and perform at the same events. Although a charioteer is
not solely focused on combat, chariot racing can be just as
dangerous, and races frequently end in death for unlucky
charioteers. When using the charioteer variant, replace
Athletics with Animal Handling in your skill proficiencies.
Pilgrim
There has always been a restlessness in you: a yearning
in your soul that has not yet been filled. You have visited
various holy sites around the world, but you haven’t yet
found what you are looking for. Whatever it is, you know it
is out there; and so you continue searching.
Pilgrims are seekers. Perhaps you seek a distant holy
site where you believe your prayers will be heard. Perhaps
you seek to perform a specific act of generosity to make up
for sins in your past. Perhaps you are on a search for your
own identity. Whatever it is that you seek, your journey is a
spiritual one, and it is what drives you to keep searching.
Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s Supplies or one type
of musical instrument
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: Calligrapher’s Supplies or one type of
musical instrument of your choice, a staff, traveler’s
clothes, a prayer book or diary, and a pouch containing 5
gp.
Pilgrimage Destination
What is the reason for your life of searching? Where are
you currently headed? Do you have a destination in mind,
or are you simply wandering aimlessly? Work with your
GM to determine what you might be looking for. You can
also use the following table for ideas of possible pilgrimage
destinations, or even determine it randomly.
d6 Pilgrimage Destination
1 You desire to pray on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
2 You feel called to find and safeguard the
Ark of the Covenant
3 You were taken as a slave from your homeland long ago.
You seek to return home.
4 You have a recurring dream of a distinctive landmark.
You cannot rest until you locate it.
5 Your sister never returned from a long journey. You seek
to bring her home, dead or alive.
6 A stranger once paid you a kindness. You cannot rest
until that kindness is repaid.
Feature: Expanded Holy Ground
Your faith is rewarded. If you succeed in reaching
your pilgrimage destination, that site is considered Holy
Ground for you, regardless of how mundane it may be for
others. For more information about Holy Ground, see page
262.
Silk Road Merchant
Some view the treacherous seas and deadly deserts as
places they would never willingly go; you just call them
home. The prolific spice, silk, incense, and glass trade
across the continent has exploded in the years following
the conquests of Alexander the Great, and there is an
impressive amount of gold to be made for those willing to
brave the journey. An expansive network of routes through
the desert now connect China, India, Sheba, and Rome, but
just because these routes have been charted does not mean
they are without danger.
Perhaps your skills as a linguist made you ideally suited
to conduct business in foreign lands. Perhaps you have
always loved bartering and the thrill of finding a good deal.
Or maybe you just love seeing the world and experiencing
new cultures. Silk Road Merchants enter the business for
a variety of reasons, but all share a common love of travel
and commerce.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s Tools
Languages: Choose two from Chinese, Sanskrit,
Aramaic, Sabaic
Equipment: Cartographer’s Tools, a staff, traveler’s
clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
Feature: Merchant’s Discount 
Because of your connections as a merchant, other
merchants and vendors are eager to do business with you
and are more likely to offer you discounted rates. When shopping in markets and bazaars in major cities, you may
make a Persuasion check to lower the price of an item
significantly, even if haggling is not normally allowed
in your location. If your haggling concerns your Trade
Specialty (see below), this check is made with advantage.
GM Tips: Haggling
In general, use the following model when a character rolls a
Persuasion check to haggle over price. On a roll of 15 or higher, the
price is reduced by 10%. On a roll of 20 or higher, the price is reduced
by 25%.
Trade Specialty
Merchants along the Silk Road often specialize in
transporting and selling a particular commodity. What
item are you most accustomed to transporting? What first
drew you to this product? How have you tried to make
connections with vendors in different kingdoms to establish
trade relations? Choose your trade specialty, or choose
it randomly using the table below. Tip: it is helpful to
choose your specialty before choosing your two language
proficiencies to ensure that your languages are spoken by
those with whom you frequently do business.

d8 Region Primary Export
1 Judea Honey, Olive Oil, Perfume
2 China Ink, Paper, Rice, Silk
3 Egypt Barley, Papyrus, Parchment, Wheat
4 India Cinnamon, Hashish, Pearls, Pepper
5 Nomadic Tribes Beadwork, Pottery, Weaving
6 Parthia Carpets, Fabric, Dyes, Opium
7 Rome Glassware, Iron, Leather, Wine
8 Sheba Cloves, Frankincense, Myrrh