I'm hoping to start my Age of Worms campaign soon, but I'd like to help my players emphasize their background by giving them a number of different background skillsets to pick from. Each will have their own benefits and drawbacks, more or less unique to the category into which they fit.
So far, categories I've come up with include Miner, Bronzewood Lodge Member, Gambler, Entertainer, Twilight Lodge Brethren, Mine Manager's Employee, Garrison Soldier, Hired Muscle, and a few other general ones like Acolyte, Craftsman, and Apprentice. Anyways, I could have sworn I'd seen a thread some time back which had something similar. I can't seem to find the link on the current thread listing, but does anyone recall what sorts of bonuses and drawbacks might have been in that thread?
(Example: Hired Muscle. (Requirements: Intimidate 1, Gather Information 1.)
-- You've done your time on the town streets, tracking down debtors and serving as surly bodyguard to the rich and privileged. It hasn't gotten you rich, though, and now you're thinking it might be a good time to strike out for adventure on your own. +2 on Intimidate checks and Gather Information checks, -2 on Diplomacy checks.)
There's a great article on theRPGenius.com that has some backgrounds for Age of Worms. These might not be exactly what you're looking for but they may work as a basis for you.
There's a great article on theRPGenius.com that has some backgrounds for Age of Worms. These might not be exactly what you're looking for but they may work as a basis for you.
By any chance, do you have a link to it? I'd looked through the Age of Worms archives and forums but hadn't been able to spot anything that looked quite like what you're describing.
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I wrote up some local hero background traits a year ago which I posted up somewhere. Here they are again:
Local Hero Background Traits
Characters from Diamond Lake can take a free local hero background trait from the following list:
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Aerdi Noble Blood
One of your ancestors was an Aerdi noble when the province of Selintan was part of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy. Over the years, your family lost all of its wealth and power, until destitution forced it to relocate to Diamond Lake. However, you have never forgotten your noble heritage and tend to look down on the common folk.
Prerequisite: Human (Oeridian)
Benefit: You start play with a masterwork melee weapon of your choice and you also gain a +2 bonus to charisma checks made to influence Oeridian nobles.
Drawback: You have a -1 penalty to all charisma checks made to influence commoners.
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Cairn Seeker
You come from a long line of treasure seekers and cairn hunters.
Benefit: Your familiarity with tombs gives you a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to reflex saves against traps.
Drawback: Your senses have become trained for underground use and you suffer a -1 penalty of Spot and Listen checks when outdoors.
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Child of the Marsh
You grew up in the Mistmarsh among the marshmen.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Swim and Survival checks.
Drawback: You are illiterate. You may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages you can speak. Barbarians must spend 4 skill points instead.
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Creature of Darkness
Your time spent working in the mines of Diamond Lake has made you hardier and accustomed your eyes to the darkness, but your sight suffers in daylight.
Benefit: You gain low-light vision. If you already have low-light vision, you instead gain darkvision 60 ft. in addition to low-light vision. If you already have darkvision, the range of your darkvision increases by 30 ft. You also gain a +2 bonus on constitution checks to avoid nonlethal damage.
Drawback: You suffer a -1 penalty to Search and Spot checks when in daylight.
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Dragon Slayer
Your father was a renowned dragon slayer. Two years ago he set out eastwards after a black dragon which was sighted near the Mistmarsh. A few weeks later his body, stripped of valuables and covered with acid, was found by a patrol from Blackwall Keep.
Benefit: You receive a +2 morale bonus to all attacks and damage rolls against dragons.
Drawback: You suffer a -2 penalty to all saves against dragons until the dragon which killed your father is finally defeated.
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Greyhawk Wars Refugee
Your family came to Diamond Lake during the Greyhawk Wars to escape the horrors of war and pestilence. The hardships you have suffered have strengthened your resolve, but have also made you resent those responsible.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on will saves.
Drawback: You only receive 50% of your starting gold. You also receive a -1 penalty when using diplomacy to influence nobles.
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Old Faith Adherent
Your Flannish heritage has given you an appreciation for legends and lore of the past. Your preference for the outdoors has given you minor hunting and animal training skills, but you become uncomfortable away from your beloved wilderness.
Prerequisite: Human (Flan)
Benefit: You gain the Bardic Knowledge ability of a level 1 bard. If you’re already a bard, you gain a +2 bonus to your bardic knowledge checks. You also gain a +2 bonus to Handle Animal, Survival, and Wild Empathy checks.
Drawback: You suffer a -1 penalty to all wisdom-based skill checks when in cities.
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Planetouched
You are descended from a lawful outsider.
Benefit: Regardless of your actual alignment, spells and spell-like abilities with the law descriptor treat you as if your alignment were lawful. Magic items are similarly fooled.
Drawback: Regardless of your actual alignment, spells and spell-like abilities with the law descriptor treat you as if your alignment were lawful. Magic items are similarly fooled.
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Suloise Pure-Blood
Your Suloise heritage has given you a penchant for magic and getting what you want. However, other people often mistrust you because of that Suloise reputation.
Prerequisite: Human (Suloise)
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on two of the following skills: Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device. You also gain a +1 bonus on charisma checks made to influence other Suel.
Drawback: You suffer a -1 penalty to all charisma checks against non-Suel.
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Touched by Zagyg
Some people think you’re eccentric. Others think you’re a little crazy.
Benefit: Your mind is disorganised and chaotic. You gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
Drawback: Your inability to concentrate for long makes you suffer a -1 penalty on all wisdom-based skill checks.
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Other benefits and drawbacks may come into play for each background trait throughout the campaign.
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Several of the backgroud traits had secrets associated with them. For example, a planetouched character, as a direct descendant of the Wind Dukes, would find himself unharmed by the guardians found in the Whispering Cairn and Icosiol's tomb. A Greyhawk Wars refugee would run into some family members in Redhand. The dragonslayer would find his father's old gear in Ilthane's lair. Etc. I tend to give lots of items and goodies to my players so I don't feel bad when I slaughter them, so I made every background trait more powerful then they appeared. When Flycatcher kidnapped the elven beguiler with the creature of darkness trait and brought him back to the Plane of Shadows, the elf was surprised to find out that he felt more at home in the Plane of Shadows than anywhere else. I then gave him a 'shadow template' which gave him new powers such as the ability to turn into a shadow or shadow jump. Overall, I love the idea of background traits and have been quite pleased with the result.
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When Flycatcher kidnapped the elven beguiler with the creature of darkness trait and brought him back to the Plane of Shadows, the elf was surprised to find out that he felt more at home in the Plane of Shadows than anywhere else. I then gave him a 'shadow template' which gave him new powers such as the ability to turn into a shadow or shadow jump. Overall, I love the idea of background traits and have been quite pleased with the result.
One of my players has asked to take the 2 Shadowborn racial levels from Dragon 322, and I'm willing to give it a try.
Fayne was brought up in a happy household, albeit one that has a dark secret from both sides of the parents.
Fayne's mother (Lyriel) was pregnant with twins, but only Fayne made it - the other child, a girl, was stillborn. She hid that from her husband out of a desire to spare him the pain. She holds that secret to this day.
Fayne's father (Faran) had a brief adventuring career that ended with a catastrophic encounter with creatures from the plane of shadows. His only option was to bargain with them for his life to return to his expectant wife. The details over who was to blame in that encounter (did Faran steal something from those creatures? Were the shadowy beings an evil cabal?) were lost after he died, but his legacy passed over to his son.
Fayne knows his father's death was connected to the shadow plane, but knows no more (at least consciously). He is seeking out clues based on the tales his father told about his exploits. These have led him to Diamond Lake (rightly or wrongly) and now at the end of the line, with no money or support, he has been forced into a relationship with the garrison based there. He likes the work, but is mindful that this is fleeting, and his true calling awaits.
Fayne represents himself as a dark and selfish person, but has a need to belong, to have companionship, and to have a home. The act he puts on is to protect himself from the same fate of his father (if no-one cares for him then no-one will mourn his passing). He misses his family (another daughter, Ralyr was born a year after him) and wants to return. But his need to avenge his father's death outweighs these things.
Currently, Fayne is at a loose end, and needs money and experience to continue. He plays the long game, knowing that opportunity will present itself when the time is right.
I've decided his father was one of the Seekers, and betrayed the group at some point, to save his skin. He also signed a pact with shadow-fiends, offering them the soul of his still-gestating first-born, not realising they were twins. Since he never knew of the other child (being out of town during the birth), he was scared witless of Fayne, and took every excuse to avoid him, believing him to be tainted, and destined to murder him.
Thus, Fayne has dimly recognised the Seeker symbol, but not what it represents. This also means that Tirra (who knew his father) has a sense of deja vu, when she's spied on him, and she will be using all her wiles on the Garrison troops, to unearth his true name (rather than the fake one he told Khellek).Much melodrama awaits...
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OK, so the PCs have made their way through most of the Cairn, but been stymied by the door to the True Tomb.
This is where Alastor appeared, to advise them how to kill the Grick (luckily, one of the PCs had Magic Weapon prepared, and it went squish...).
He asked the PCs to return his bones, and the Scout (above) made a joke about 'What's it worth?', which resulted in him being possessed. He's now spent most of the next two days as Alastor's puppet, apart from a period when the Greyhawk Trio jumped them in the night, and his ghostly powers saved the party.
This is all raw material to kick-start his birth-connection to the Dark Side, but still think we need a liiiitle more...