5. Backgrounds

SUMMARY

#	Background	METTLE	WILL	PROW	SURV	SUBT	INT	INGEN
1	Tenant Farmhand	3	1	2	3	0	0	2
2	Shepherd	2	0	1	3	0	3	0
3	Hunter / Forester	3	0	2	3	2	1	0
4	Fisher / Riverfolk	3	0	3	2	0	1	2
5	Miner / Quarryhand	4	3	2	2	0	0	1
6	Smith’s Apprentice	1	0	2	0	0	0	4
7	Guild Artisan	1	0	2	0	1	2	3
8	Tinker / Peddler	1	0	0	2	2	1	3
9	Merchant’s Child	1	0	0	1	2	2	3
10	Innkeeper’s Child	1	1	0	0	2	3	2
11	Street Urchin	2	0	2	1	3	2	0
12	Household Servant	1	1	0	0	3	2	2
13	Temple Acolyte	2	3	0	1	0	2	2
14	Scribe / Clerk	1	2	0	0	2	1	3
15	Healer’s Apprentice	2	2	0	2	0	3	1
16	Village Militia / Town Watch	3	0	3	2	0	2	1
17	Soldier’s Household	3	1	3	2	0	0	2
18	Squire / Minor Noble	2	1	3	0	0	2	2
19	Outlaw / Poacher	2	0	2	2	3	1	0
20	Caravaner / Wagoner	3	0	2	3	0	1	2
21	Miller’s Child	2	1	2	0	0	2	3
22	Stablehand / Groom	2	1	3	0	0	2	2
23	Drover / Herdsman	3	1	2	3	0	2	0
24	Sailor / Coastal Mariner	2	0	2	2	0	1	3
25	Woodcutter / Charcoal Burner	3	1	2	3	0	0	2
26	Butcher’s Child	2	0	3	0	0	1	3
27	Mason / Builder’s Household	2	1	2	0	0	2	3
28	Bailiff / Steward’s Household	1	1	0	0	0	3	3
29	Monastic Lay Worker	2	2	0	2	0	1	3
30	Gamekeeper	3	0	2	3	2	1	0

Each background spends exactly 13 Development Points using triangular Discipline costs. Mettle equals half the total of Willpower, Prowess, and Survival, rounded up. Unless a background says otherwise, its equipment includes the normal weapons belt, two sets of normal clothes, personal effects and hygiene items, one large storage container, three small storage containers, and 10 silver coins. If a listed armor would cause more Hindrance than your table wants for starting characters, choose a lighter suit appropriate to the background instead.

1. Tenant Farmhand

I was raised by tenant farmers in a small village near a manor or market town.
We made our living by working the fields, tending livestock, and repairing whatever we could not afford to replace.
I spent much of my early years planting, harvesting, hauling, mending, and learning to recognize when weather, animals, or crops were about to turn against us.

This is not an ignorant peasant. A working farm demands a surprisingly broad collection of practical skills.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 2, Survival 3, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 0, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 3

Equipment: padded armor; spear, hand axe, sling with ammunition; Survival Kit and Carpenter’s Kit. A whetstone, cord, sewing supplies, and a small family keepsake round out the package.

2. Shepherd

I was raised by herders in an isolated hamlet near open pasture, hills, or high country.
We made our living by raising sheep, goats, or cattle and selling their wool, hides, milk, and young.
I spent much of my early years alone outdoors, finding strays, watching the weather, driving off predators, and learning that an animal often notices danger before a person does.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 1, Survival 3, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 3, Ingenuity 0
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; staff, knife, sling with ammunition; Survival Kit and Climber’s Kit. Heavy wool blanket, animal-call whistle, and several lengths of cord.

3. Hunter / Forester

I was raised by hunters, trappers, or foresters in a woodland settlement near the edge of settled lands.
We made our living by taking game, trapping fur, cutting timber, gathering forest products, or serving those who controlled the woods.
I spent much of my early years following tracks, moving quietly, shooting at small targets, dressing game, and finding my way home after dark.

Highly practiced at taking game and moving through wilderness.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 3, Subterfuge 2, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 0
Mettle: 3

Equipment: leather armor; hunting bow and quiver, hunting spear; Survival Kit and Trapper’s Kit. Snares, skinning implements, and waterproof tinder.

4. Fisher / Riverfolk

I was raised by fishers, ferrymen, or boatmen in a riverside or lakeside settlement.
We made our living by fishing, carrying passengers and cargo, repairing boats, or working the waterways.
I spent much of my early years swimming, hauling lines, balancing on wet decks, reading currents, and repairing things that broke far from shore.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 3, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 3

Equipment: padded armor; short spear, hand axe, sling with ammunition; Sailor’s Kit and Carpenter’s Kit. Fishing line, hooks, cork floats, and a small waterproof pouch.

5. Miner / Quarryhand

I was raised by miners, stonecutters, or quarry workers in a rough settlement near valuable earth or stone.
We made our living by breaking rock and hauling from the earth what other people were willing to pay for.
I spent much of my early years swinging tools, moving heavy loads, judging unstable ground, maintaining equipment, and learning how quickly a careless mistake could kill someone.

Disciplines: Willpower 3, Prowess 2, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 0, Ingenuity 1
Mettle: 4

Equipment: leather armor; heavy hammer, pick, knife; Mason’s Kit and Lighting Kit – Lamp. Chalk, wedges, and measuring cord.

6. Smith’s Apprentice

I was raised in a smith’s household in a village, castle settlement, or town.
We made our living shaping and repairing the iron upon which everyone else depended.
I spent much of my early years tending fires, striking hot metal, repairing tools and weapons, and learning what breaks, what bends, and what holds.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 0, Ingenuity 4
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; hammer, spear, knife; Blacksmith’s Kit and Tinker’s Kit. Leather apron, small hammer, files, punches, and tongs.

7. Guild Artisan

I was raised in the household of a skilled craftsman in a town or prosperous village.
We made our living producing a particular craft for people who lacked either the tools or training to make it themselves.
I spent much of my early years as an apprentice, first sweeping floors and carrying materials, and eventually learning the trade myself.

This can represent a carpenter, mason, cooper, weaver, cobbler, jeweler, potter, glassworker, wheelwright, or dozens of other trades.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 0, Subterfuge 1, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; staff, hand axe, dagger; Tinker’s Kit or one approved craft kit chosen for the trade, such as Carpenter’s Kit, Jeweler’s Kit, Leatherworker’s Kit, or Mason’s Kit. Guild or master’s token and several examples of the character’s handiwork.

8. Tinker / Peddler

I was raised by traveling craftsmen or peddlers who rarely remained in one settlement for long.
We made our living repairing simple goods, sharpening tools, trading inexpensive wares, and carrying things from places where they were common to places where they were not.
I spent much of my early years on the road, learning to fix things quickly, judge strangers, find shelter, and recognize when it was better to leave town.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 0, Survival 2, Subterfuge 2, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; staff, hammer, sling with ammunition; Tinker’s Kit and Survival Kit. A small assortment of low-value trade goods.

9. Merchant’s Child

I was raised by merchants in a prosperous town or along a well-traveled trade route.
We made our living buying goods where they were plentiful and selling them where they were scarce.
I spent much of my early years around warehouses, ledgers, bargaining tables, travelers, and people who sometimes lied about the quality of what they were selling.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 0, Survival 1, Subterfuge 2, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; light crossbow and bolts, dagger; Merchant’s Kit and Scribe’s Kit. Scales, weights, writing implements, and letters of introduction.

10. Innkeeper’s Child

I was raised by innkeepers or taverners in a settlement where strangers regularly passed through.
We made our living feeding, housing, and serving people who were often tired, drunk, dishonest, lonely, or eager to talk.
I spent much of my early years carrying trays, settling arguments, remembering faces, listening to gossip, keeping accounts, and noticing trouble before it reached the furniture.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 0, Survival 0, Subterfuge 2, Intuition 3, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; cudgel, dagger, sling with ammunition; Cook’s Kit and Gambler’s Kit. Dice or cards, tankard, and a collection of rumors whose accuracy is entirely another matter.

11. Street Urchin

I was raised by whoever would tolerate me—or by no one at all—in the crowded streets of a town or city.
We made our living through errands, scavenging, begging, petty work, and whatever opportunities presented themselves.
I spent much of my early years climbing where I was not supposed to be, squeezing through places adults could not, running from trouble, and learning which people watched their purses.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 1, Subterfuge 3, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 0
Mettle: 2

Equipment: patched padded armor; dagger, cudgel, sling with ammunition; Climber’s Kit and Disguise Kit. Chalk, string, a small mirror, and assorted objects whose provenance is questionable.

12. Household Servant

I was raised among servants in the household of a wealthy family, official, merchant, or minor noble.
We made our living maintaining another family’s home, clothing, meals, schedules, and comforts.
I spent much of my early years working quietly around people who frequently forgot I was close enough to hear them.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 0, Survival 0, Subterfuge 3, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; staff, dagger, short spear; Cook’s Kit and Disguise Kit. Sewing supplies, grooming tools, and an old piece of household livery.

13. Temple Acolyte

I was raised by priests, monks, or a religious community near a temple, shrine, or monastery.
We made our living through the support of the faithful, lands belonging to the temple, charitable work, and whatever duties our faith required.
I spent much of my early years studying doctrine, attending the sick and grieving, performing rituals, and listening to people confess fears they would tell no one else.

Disciplines: Willpower 3, Prowess 0, Survival 1, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; staff, mace, knife; Scribe’s Kit and Medical Kit. Holy symbol, candles, incense or equivalent ritual supplies, and writing implements.

14. Scribe / Clerk

I was raised in the household of a clerk, scholar, administrator, or professional scribe in a town, court, temple, or noble estate.
We made our living from words, numbers, records, and the fact that most people could not manage all four equally well.
I spent much of my early years copying documents, keeping accounts, carrying messages, and learning how much power can reside in a few marks on parchment.

Disciplines: Willpower 2, Prowess 0, Survival 0, Subterfuge 2, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; staff, dagger, sling with ammunition; Scribe’s Kit and Forgery Kit. Ink, pens, wax, parchment scraps, ruler, and document case.

15. Healer’s Apprentice

I was raised by healers in a village or town whose doors people sought when something had gone badly wrong.
We made our living tending wounds, sickness, childbirth, and the ordinary damage done by work and age.
I spent much of my early years gathering herbs, cleaning instruments, observing symptoms, comforting frightened people, and learning when a problem was beyond our ability to mend.

This includes village healers, herbalists, barber-surgeons, midwives, bonesetters, and similar traditions depending on the setting.

Disciplines: Willpower 2, Prowess 0, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 3, Ingenuity 1
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; staff, knife, sling with ammunition; Medical Kit and Alchemist’s Kit. Bandages, needles, small containers, and common medicinal ingredients.

16. Village Militia / Town Watch

I was raised among ordinary tradespeople or farmers in a settlement where every able household was expected to help defend the community.
We made our living at ordinary work, but trained to stand watch, form ranks, and answer an alarm when called.
I spent much of my early years drilling with weapons, watching gates and roads, breaking up fights, and learning that discipline matters more than heroics when several people are trying to fight together.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 3, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 1
Mettle: 3

Equipment: padded armor; spear, hand axe or short sword, dagger; Blacksmith’s Kit and Survival Kit. Militia badge, whistle, whetstone, and basic camp gear.

17. Soldier’s Household

I was raised by a professional soldier, guard, mercenary, or household retainer in a garrison, castle settlement, or military camp.
We made our living through armed service.
I spent much of my early years around weapons, marching soldiers, camp life, wounded veterans, and people for whom violence was a profession rather than an adventure.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 3, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 0, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 3

Equipment: mail, spear, arming sword or axe, dagger; Blacksmith’s Kit and Survival Kit. Bedroll, mess gear, whetstone, and an old unit or family token.

18. Squire / Minor Noble

I was raised by a landed or martial family in a manor, castle, or noble household.
We made our living from land, rents, service, or the privileges and obligations of rank.
I spent much of my early years learning arms, manners, heraldry, riding, history, and how to behave around people whose opinions could alter the course of another person’s life.

While not benefiting from the wealth of the household who raised them, they plausibly know people and understand institutions that a farmhand would not.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 3, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 2

Equipment: leather armor; arming sword, spear, dagger; Blacksmith’s Kit and Scribe’s Kit. Quality clothing, heraldic token, writing materials, and a letter identifying the character’s household.

19. Outlaw / Poacher

I was raised among people living beyond the protection—or beyond the patience—of local authority, in isolated cottages, forest camps, or hidden settlements.
We made our living by hunting forbidden game, smuggling, theft, raiding, or work that respectable people preferred not to acknowledge purchasing.
I spent much of my early years avoiding patrols, finding hidden routes, watching from concealment, and learning when to fight and when to disappear.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 2, Subterfuge 3, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 0
Mettle: 2

Equipment: leather armor; shortbow and quiver, dagger; Trapper’s Kit and Disguise Kit. Hooded cloak, snares, and concealed pockets.

20. Caravaner / Wagoner

I was raised by teamsters, caravan workers, or traveling merchants on the roads between settlements.
We made our living moving people and goods farther than most people ever traveled in their lives.
I spent much of my early years handling animals, repairing wagons, crossing bad roads, making camp in unfamiliar places, and watching the horizon for trouble.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 3, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 3

Equipment: leather armor; light crossbow and bolts, spear; Survival Kit and Wainwright’s Kit. Route notes, spare harness fittings, rope, and an oilcloth.

21. Miller’s Child

I was raised by millers in a village or small town near a river, stream, or windmill.
We made our living grinding the grain brought to us by farmers throughout the surrounding countryside.
I spent much of my early years maintaining machinery, lifting and measuring grain, keeping the mill running, and dealing with nearly everyone who needed flour.

This one is intentionally specialized. Milling involved surprisingly sophisticated machinery and constant practical problem-solving.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 2, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; staff, hand axe, sling with ammunition; Tinker’s Kit and Wainwright’s Kit. Measuring scoop, cord, whetstone, and flour or grain sacks.

22. Stablehand / Groom

I was raised among grooms, ostlers, or horsekeepers at an inn, manor, castle, or prosperous farm.
We made our living caring for the horses upon which other people depended for travel, war, and work.
I spent much of my early years feeding, grooming, riding, calming, exercising, saddling, and tending animals much larger and stronger than I was.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 3, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 2

Equipment: leather armor; spear, shortbow with quiver; Leatherworker’s Kit and Medical Kit. Grooming brush, hoof pick, lead rope, and basic tack-repair supplies.

23. Drover / Herdsman

I was raised among people who moved cattle, horses, pigs, or other livestock between pastures, settlements, and markets.
We made our living by getting valuable animals safely from one place to another.
I spent much of my early years walking long roads, handling stubborn animals, sleeping outdoors, protecting the herd, and solving problems far from home.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 2, Survival 3, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 0
Mettle: 3

Equipment: leather armor; spear, cudgel, sling with ammunition; Survival Kit and Medical Kit. Heavy cloak, rope, animal-call whistle, and simple veterinary supplies.

24. Sailor / Coastal Mariner

I was raised among sailors in a coastal settlement, harbor, or trading port.
We made our living carrying goods and people across waters that did not particularly care whether we returned.
I spent much of my early years climbing rigging, hauling lines, repairing vessels, watching the weather, standing watches, and working beside people from places I had never seen.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 2, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; hand axe, spear, dagger; Sailor’s Kit and Carpenter’s Kit. Marlinspike, cordage, sail needle, oilcloth, and whetstone.

25. Woodcutter / Charcoal Burner

I was raised among woodcutters, charcoal burners, or other families who worked deep in managed forests.
We made our living cutting timber, producing fuel, and supplying the enormous appetite settlements had for wood.
I spent much of my early years swinging axes, climbing difficult ground, controlling fires, hauling timber, and living for long stretches away from settled roads.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 2, Survival 3, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 0, Ingenuity 2
Mettle: 3

Equipment: leather armor; wood axe, knife, sling with ammunition; Survival Kit and Carpenter’s Kit. Tinderbox, wedges, cord, small saw, and heavy gloves.

26. Butcher’s Child

I was raised in a butcher’s household in a town or large village.
We made our living slaughtering animals and turning carcasses into food, hides, fat, bone, and other valuable products.
I spent much of my early years handling animals, sharpening blades, cutting joints, preserving meat, and becoming far more familiar with anatomy than most people ever wished to be.

Disciplines: Willpower 0, Prowess 3, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 2

Equipment: leather armor; cleaver or hand axe, large knife, cudgel; Cook’s Kit and Leatherworker’s Kit. Sharpening steel, hooks, cord, salt, and wrapping cloth.

27. Mason / Builder’s Household

I was raised among masons and builders wherever walls, bridges, churches, keeps, and wealthy homes were being built.
We made our living shaping stone and assembling structures intended to outlast the people who made them.
I spent much of my early years hauling materials, climbing scaffolds, mixing mortar, working ropes and hoists, and learning when a structure was sound—and when it was about to come down.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 2, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 2, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 2

Equipment: leather armor; mason’s hammer, hand axe, dagger; Mason’s Kit and Surveyor’s Kit. Plumb line, chalk, measuring cord, chisel, and wedges.

28. Bailiff / Steward’s Household

I was raised in the household of an estate steward, bailiff, reeve, or other administrator responsible for managing someone else’s land and obligations.
We made our living keeping estates productive, collecting what was owed, settling disputes, and making certain that records matched reality closely enough to satisfy those above us.
I spent much of my early years around ledgers, tenants, rents, harvests, arguments, inspections, and people who usually had a reason for not wanting to tell us the whole truth.

Disciplines: Willpower 1, Prowess 0, Survival 0, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 3, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 1

Equipment: padded armor; staff or cudgel, light crossbow with bolts; Scribe’s Kit and Surveyor’s Kit. Writing set, seals or tally sticks, measuring cord, document case.

29. Monastic Lay Worker

I was raised within or around a monastery, convent, temple estate, or other religious community without entering the religious vocation myself.
We made our living through farming, gardening, brewing, cooking, building, copying, healing, and maintaining the community that supported the clergy.
I spent much of my early years working beside people whose lives mixed ordinary labor with learning, ritual, charity, and strict routine.

Disciplines: Willpower 2, Prowess 0, Survival 2, Subterfuge 0, Intuition 1, Ingenuity 3
Mettle: 2

Equipment: padded armor; staff, hand axe or sickle, sling with ammunition; Cook’s Kit and Scribe’s Kit. Simple holy token, gardening or workshop tools, writing scraps, and work apron.

30. Gamekeeper

I was raised among gamekeepers or forest wardens responsible for another person’s hunting lands.
We made our living managing game, protecting woodland resources, guiding hunts, and preventing others from taking animals they were forbidden to hunt.
I spent much of my early years following tracks, finding snares, watching boundaries, confronting poachers, and learning the habits of both animals and the people hunting them.

Competent wilderness worker who also patrols, enforces boundaries, detects trespass, and confronts people.