Sword Coast: Backgrounds

A collection of new backgrounds for use in your D&D 5e

games

Introduction: Presented here are six additional new backgrounds with new
personality charts included for each. Although several of these are specific
to Forgotten Realms, they can be easily modified to fit into any campaign
setting. Examples include:
- Astrologist
- Candlekeep Scribe
- Flaming Fist Mercenary
And more

by Night Paladins Press

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League,
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property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained
herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4
The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.

Astrologist
You have spent years studying the stars
and determining fates and fortunes.
Predicting love for some, while far different
fates for others. You study the stars, their
alignments in the night’s sky, and how they
represent the gods. You might have slipped
a coin or two in your purse with a less than
honest telling of a fortune, but you justified
it by the necessity to make a living. After
all it’s more about how you read their fate
than what you tell them anyway. But
something led you away from this life.
Could it have been a reading gone wrong?
Perhaps you were an apprentice and your
master has passed on? Or maybe you
discovered something more sinister in the
stars upon your study?
Skill Proficiencies: Performance, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Musical Instrument,
Gaming Set
Equipment: Set of Fortune cards (Gaming
set), set of traveler’s clothes, a mysterious
trinket, ink bottle, ink pen, and a book
detailing basic constellations and their
alignments, musical instrument of your
choice, and a belt pouch containing 10gp.
Feature: Reading the Stars
Your devoted study to the stars, their signs,
and the gods has made you a fair living in
the past. Putting that to practical use has
proven to be just as beneficial. When the
night sky is at least partially clear you can
spend 5 minutes or more studying the
constellations of the night’s sky. If doing
so, you always know which way is north.
Suggested Characteristics
Astrologists range from hustlers and
gypsies to serious students of the stars and
their relationship to the gods. Regardless,
Astrologists always tend to lean towards a
friendly demeanor as much of their
vocation’s success revolves around
buttering up their clients. Sometimes
though, an astrologist might see something
foreboding in the stars that may change
them forever.
d8 Personality Traits
1 Reading the stars has taught me one thing;
everyone has something they’re hiding
2 I don’t mind lying to get what I want, if that’s
what it takes
3 People will believe anything as long as you put
on a good show
4 I tend to roam from town to town never quite
able to stay in one place at a time for long.
5 I tend to be agreeable in just about every
situation, but I always realize there are two sides
to every story
6 I take my craft and my work very seriously and
don’t appreciate mocking and japes
7 The stars are much like life; a giant mystery to
be discovered
8 I tend to take everything at face value and
generally believe most people are honest until
given a reason to think otherwise.
d6 Ideal
1 Self Preservation: I take care of me first and
foremost.
2 Idealist: I hold strict to a firm code of loyalty and
honor, even among thieves
3 Studious: I believe the answers to life’s greatest
mysteries can be found by reading the stars and
I spend a great deal of time trying to unlock their
secrets
4 Wealth: Gold is the key to my happiness and
tend to be greedy
5 Traveler: I travel to distant lands to unlock the
world’s secrets
6 Opportunist: I live life to the fullest and don’t
cling to the materialistic
d6 Bond
1 My family was cursed and I’ll do anything to
break it
2 My master left me a dying wish in a cryptic
message and I must solve it
3 My friends are the most important thing to me
and I’ll do anything to protect them
4 I’m sort of on the run from someone for a bad
reading
5 I owe a great debt to a dangerous crime lord
6 A mysterious cosmic entity has bound me to
service
d6 Flaw
1 I tend to be overly dramatic
2 I often keep even my best friends at arm’s length
3 So I gamble once in a while. What’s the big deal?
4 I tend to be selfish and greedy
5 I never look directly at a certain star at night for
fear of a cosmic entity’s power
6 I’m bull headed and stubborn sometimes

Tribal Warrior
You were part of a tribal society whose
values were based on strength and martial
prowess. In the harsh lands of your tribe
merely surviving every day is a task be it
from the brutal environments, dangerous
monsters, or tribal warfare, your homeland
and your culture was primitive and
demanding. Perhaps you belonged to an
island kingdom who raided their neighbors
by ship, or in a harsh barbarian tundra.
Tribal society is usually close-knit despite
its harsh culture. Maybe you were exiled
for bringing dishonor on your clan, or
perhaps sent on a quest to save your
homeland which required you to leave. Or
perhaps you are still there, braving the
dangers with other tribal companions.
Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Musical Instrument,
Vehicles (land or water) or Gaming set
Equipment: Totem representing your tribe,
Fur clothing, Wooden or Ivory knife,
hunting traps, set of bone dice, lute, and a
small pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Hunter
You have lived off the land most of your life
and as such you are a capable hunter.
Whenever you forage, you gain enough food
to feed 4 people.
Suggested Characteristics
Your culture values strength and survival of
the fittest above all qualities. Personal
honor is of the utmost importance to the
tribal member and you do not take
questions of your integrity lightly. You’re
also not afraid of a fight. Brawling is a
common occurrence within your tribal
culture and you are prone to violence at the
smallest slight where other more civilized
people might be inclined to ignore japes and
quicks. It’s not a matter of temperament,
but rather one of culture. In addition, you
are not familiar with normal civilized mores
and standards such as personal
cleanliness. You might tend to have an
obnoxious side.
d8 Personality Traits
1 You are a person of honor and do not take your
integrity being questioned lightly
2 You have a brutally honest personality; you do
not mind pointing out someone’s shortcomings,
but also their strengths when they display them
3 You detest most who call themselves “civilized”
and view them as weak
4 You are quiet and often stoic. You don’t speak
often but when you do people tend to listen
5 You have a yearn to constantly be on the move
and rarely stay in one place very long
6 There’s no problem that can’t be solved by the tip
of a spear or a sharp edged blade
7 You are viewed as extremely superstitious and
are very distrustful of magic users
8 You have no problem taking what you want from
those you view as weaker
d6 Ideal
1 Strength: The only way one can prove their
place is through brute strength
2 Honor: You are honor-bound and value personal
integrity
3 Reaver: You take what you want from those
weaker than you
4 Nomad: You go where the wind takes you with
no regrets
5 Devout: You are devoted to a religious or
cultural idea indigenous to your homeland
6 Leader: You naturally take the lead among
perceived weaker companions
d6 Bond
1 You were exiled from your tribe; a fate worse
than death in your culture
2 You are on a quest to save your tribe which
required you to leave your homeland
3 You are only loyal to yourself and take no
comfort in companionship
4 You are devoted to your companions once they
prove their worth
5 You have been cursed and cannot return to your
homeland until the curse is lifted
6 Your faith in your god guides you
d6 Flaw
1 You’re the best at what you do, or at least you
think so, and you don’t mind telling others
2 You have a tendency to throw your money away
on booze and gambling
3 You believe violence is the best solution to any
problem
4 You are often too trusting
5 You fall in love way too easily
6 You have a hard time holding your tongue when
it would be best to remain quiet

Sword Coast Explorer
You have a wanderlust and curiosity for
ancient ruins, forgotten cities, and lost
societies. Perhaps you were paid by a
university for your pursuits in the past, or
maybe worked independently. Either way,
you have a knack for searching for that
which has been lost or areas which have
never been traveled by most people. Your
travels have taken you far and wide across
the world and you’ve seen a great many
things most people could only dream of.
You’ve seen the riches of lost desert tombs
and ruins of castles on snow covered peaks.
You’ve delved into the unknown and
continue to do so. Unlocking the mysteries
of the world are rewarding to both your
curiosity and your purse.
Skill Proficiencies: History, and either
Arcana or Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Thieve’s Tools
Languages: One exotic language of your
choice
Equipment: Climber’s kit, Grappling hook,
Rope, hempen (50 feet), Thieve’s Tools,
Traveler’s clothes, ink bottle, ink pen, book
(journal), map case, and a belt pouch with
15 gp
Feature: Quest Seeker
In most cities, towns, and villages you go to
you are always able to gather information
on areas of interest nearby. You can
always gain an audience with a local sage,
university, or temple. Also when
negotiating for pay you are always able to
get at least 10% more than originally
offered as payment.
Suggested Characteristics
Explorers tend to be bold, confident, and
sometimes a bit arrogant. They have a vast
knowledge in ancient history and lore and
know the value of ancient artifacts and
treasure and they don’t mind letting you
know about it. Explorers are consumed
with themselves and their own fame, each
wanting to make the latest discovery of
some lost forgotten lore or object.
d8 Personality Traits
1 You have a hardy exterior but have a true love
for romance
2 You know you’re the best at what you do and
you don’t mind letting people know it
3 You have an insatiable yearning for knowledge
and historical information
4 You are brash and cocky, but always have a plan
for every situation
5 You are motivated by two things; good coin and a
good rush
6 You’re friendly and jovial to most, but careful
and calculating never taking things at face value
7 You have an extraordinary ambitious but
charitable nature sometimes to your detriment
8 You are often quiet and serious by nature and
don’t care for jokes or japes.
d6 Ideal
1 Greed: You’re good at what you do and deserve
good coin for it.
2 Knowledge Seeker: You believe the best way to
benefit the world is by seeking knowledge
3 Adventurer: You value the thrill of the chase
above the rewards of the discovery
4 Grave Robber: You seek out lost artifacts and
treasure to make a living.
5 Historian: Preserving history from reavers and
thieves drives you to do your work
6 Opportunist: It’s dangerous work, but someone
has to do it.
d6 Bond
1 You have a map passed down from your family
leading to a lost treasure
2 You’re on the run from a criminal organization
that sent you to a tomb where you proceeded to
steal a valuable item from within which you were
commissioned to find.
3 You go where the wind, and the coin, take you
4 You’re looking for your ancestral home
5 Your master’s dying wish was to retrieve a
powerful artifact
6 You found a map on a corpse and now people are
chasing you
d6 Flaw
1 You have a tendency to let your cynical nature
get you in trouble
2 No matter how much money you make you can’t
seem to ever keep it
3 You have a hard time trusting anyone you meet;
someone is always after something for nothing
4 You’re impulsive and often leap without looking
5 You have a generally dour personality which
rubs people the wrong way
6 You tell long winded stories about your prior
exploits to the annoyance of your
companions…or anyone who may be nearby
Flaming Fist Mercenary
You were once a member of the proud
Flaming Fist Mercenary Company, the
military and police force of Baldur’s Gate.
Their work extends beyond the borders of
the famed city and along the entirety of the
Sword Coast. They often act as caravan
guards especially for dignitaries between
Baldur’s Gate and Waterdeep. They are a
proud and noble group of dedicated
warriors.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and
Perception
Tool Proficiencies: Gaming Set
Languages: One additional language
Equipment: Set of traveler’s Clothes, Rope
hempen 50’, grappling hook, torches (5),
tinderbox, Whetstone, Bedroll, Iron pot,
dice set, and a belt pouch with 10 gp
Feature: Sellsword
You come from a well respected mercenary
organization and as such, you’re always
able to find the best merchants and
charters seeking your services anywhere
along the Sword Coast. In addition, you
always have shelter within Baldur’s Gates
walls at the Flaming Fist Mercenary
Company barracks, but while in the city are
required to act as a city guard.
Suggested Characteristics
Flaming Fist Mercenaries tend to be well
respected, honorable men at least as far as
sellswords go by the norm. Many of them
are gamblers, drinkers, and enjoy a good
fight. It’s not unusual to spend your wages
in a city carousing before hopping on the
next caravan to the next city. And when
you’re in Baldur’s Gate while you’re on duty
you’re usually breaking up fights in the
city’s many low-beamed taverns, but are
just as likely to be involved in a brawl
yourself when off duty.
d8 Personality Traits
1 In the face of danger you face it head on with
courage
2 You look down upon others until they earn your
respect through martial prowess
3 You have a rough and crude sense of humor
4 You are a quiet storm; Stoic and in control until
your fury is unleashed
5 There’s nothing better than a good fight
6 The horrors of your past haunt you and you
often get lost in your own thoughts
7 You sell your sword to the highest coin. Loyalty
is measured in payment
8 You are always polite and respectful even to
those below your station in life
d6 Ideal
1 Idealist: You believe in fighting for what’s
important to you.
2 Strength: You believe the strongest survive in
life
3 Patriot: You are loyal to your
homeland/town/village/Lord
4 Character: You believe in always doing the right
thing, even when others aren’t looking
5 Greed: Your only loyalty lies in the man who can
pay you the most
6 Freedom: You believe men were meant to live
freely and without fear of tyrants
d6 Bond
1 You value honor above all things
2 Your companions are worth fighting and dying
for
3 You work for the highest bidder, whoever he or
she may be
4 You protect those who cannot protect themselves
5 Someone close to you was killed and you have a
burning desire for vengeance
6 You value self-preservation and strength above
all things
d6 Flaw
1 You have a short fuse which can often lead to
violence
2 You are a compulsive gambler and can never
keep the coin you earn for longer than a day or
two
3 You are stubborn and bullheaded and want
things done your way
4 You will fight anything…except that one
thing…you never want to see that thing again
5 You don’t listen to people who have no skill in a
fight
6 You don’t mind giving out orders, but don’t like
to take them yourself

Candlekeep Scribe
Behind the large spires of Candlekeep lies
the Realms largest collection of lore and
written history. The monks attending to
Candlekeep are meticulous with the records
they keep and archive and as a scribe, your
job within the large library might have been
cataloguing tomes of knowledge or journals
of adventure and exploration. Perhaps
reading one of these tales of adventure led
you to take on the life of an adventurer, or
perhaps you were tasked by the monks to
research some lost arcane knowledge.
Regardless of the reason you are considered
well educated and knowledgeable in a vast
amount of history and Realmslore.
Skill Proficiencies: History and either
Arcana, Investigation, or Religion
Languages: Two of your choice, one of
which may be exotic
Equipment: Ink pot, journal, ink pen, set
of traveler’s clothes, Candlekeep signet ring,
Book of Realmslore on one creature type of
your choice, a walking staff, and a pouch
with 10 gp
Feature: Lore Seeker
You always know the best way to go about
gaining information on any particular
subject and when researching in a library it
takes you half the normal time to find the
information you are seeking. In addition
you and your companions may always enter
Candlekeep without requiring a written
tome of knowledge as price for entry.
Suggested Characteristics
Candlekeep scribes tend to be very detail
oriented. Most are soft spoken and friendly
however willing to interject trivial facts into
any conversation. Having spent years
studying and cataloguing records in
Candlekeep’s vast library, you haven’t fully
developed socially and can seem awkward
as a companion at first. Knowledge and
information are your preferred method for
dealing with any situation that comes your
way.
d8 Personality Traits
1 You do not suffer idiots and have little patience
for those below your intellect
2 You take great pleasure in your work and always
have an upbeat attitude
3 You have an insatiable yearning for knowledge
and historical information
4 You are usually the smartest one in the room,
but you don’t like to brag
5 You have a tendency to be socially awkward
most of the time.
6 You don’t indulge in trivial conversations and are
usually reading a scroll or book of some sort
7 You are always willing to lend a hand to your
friends
8 You always have a quotable line for any situation
d6 Ideal
1 Education: You believe knowledge is the key to
understanding life
2 Knowledge Seeker: You believe the best way to
benefit the world is by seeking knowledge
3 Adventurer: You value the thrill of the chase
above the rewards of the discovery
4 Loyalty: You are loyal to your superiors and
want to prove your worth
5 Historian: Preserving history from reavers and
thieves drives you to do your work
6 Opportunist: It’s dangerous work, but someone
has to do it.
d6 Bond
1 You specialize in a particular type of lore or
history and are the leading expert on the subject
2 You take great pride in your office and seek to
prove your worth to your patrons
3 You have discovered a dangerous secret among
your tomes and scrolls you are charged to
protect
4 Someone stole a valuable piece of lore from the
library and you are charged with retrieving it
5 Your life’s work is nearly ready for completion,
you just have to find one more piece of lore
6 A rival has taken your place at the library and
you must prove your worth to get it back
d6 Flaw
1 You often babble on about your particular field of
study
2 You are highly intelligent, but at the same time
easily fooled and tricked
3 You are a craven and usually run from real
danger
4 You often talk down to people of less intellect
5 You are extremely impatient, unless it comes to
your field of study
6 You will often make up an answer to a question
if asked so as to appear knowledgeable on a
subject

Zhentarim Trader
You spent the early part of your life in
employ of the Zhentarim specifically as a
trader and merchant within the shadow
organization. Your business of trade could
have been slavery, weapons, black market
goods, drugs, or information. As the old
Black Network crumbled, their business
changed becoming more of a mercenary
company. This is merely a front as they
rebuild their place in the nefarious trades of
the Realms. For whatever reason you
abandoned your past and struck out on
your own as an adventurer, or maybe the
Zhentarim have enlisted your aid on a
secret mission to spread their grip in
Faerun.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception and either
Persuasion or Insight
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: Set of common clothes,
Zhentarim coin, ink pen, parchment, ink
bottle, Sealing wax, Merchant’s scale, and a
pouch with 15 gp
Feature: Underworld Contacts
As a member of the Zhentarim you are
always able to find and locate other
members if they are present anywhere you
travel. In addition you always know where
to fence goods, gather secret information,
and buy and sell illegal goods in any city or
medium sized town.
Suggested Characteristics
Zhentarim agents still have a nefarious
reputation within Faerun despite their
increased efforts in recent years to
overcome this image. Zhentarim agents
tend to be deceptive and selfish, willing to
put their greed ahead of the needs of their
fellow companions. They are trustworthy
enough to their own members, but to
outsiders they are often cold and
calculating in their dealings. They prefer to
deal with problems through cunning and
guile rather than outright confrontation.
d8 Personality Traits
1 You don’t particularly like following the rules in a
given situation
2 You are often more observant than others taking
special precautions to look for exits, entry points,
potential secret passages, and valuables
3 You are cold, cunning, and calculating in every
endeavor
4 You are always looking for new business
opportunities
5 You have a cynical nature and tend to be
distrustful of even your closest companions
6 You are impulsive and will often take
complicated risks when the solution to a problem
might be simple
7 It’s hard to earn your trust, but once earned you
are extremely loyal
8 It’s oftentimes hard for people to discern whether
you are a friend or an enemy
d6 Ideal
1 Greed: You’re always looking for a way to
become wealthy, even if it’s not exactly legal
2 Freedom: You believe everyone deserves to live a
free life away from tyranny
3 People: You believe the best of people in every
situation
4 Business: You spend your life devoted to your
business and furthering your own ends
5 Information: The key to power lies through
information
6 Charity: You justify nefarious business dealings
by giving money to a cause important to you
d6 Bond
1 You can never escape your past, but you are
continuously trying to do so
2 You have committed atrocities in the name of
your masters and seek redemption
3 Information is power and you constantly try to
gather as much damaging information on your
rivals as possible
4 You owe a great debt to your benefactors which
you can never seem to repay
5 You commit nefarious acts to protect your family
from your masters
6 You only care about personal gain and wealth
d6 Flaw
1 You tend to brag about your shady dealings
when you should remain tight lipped
2 You will leave your companions behind if your
life is threatened
3 You don’t usually follow through with your
promises
4 You tend to stutter when you’re nervous or lying
5 You hold a grudge against even the smallest
slight
6 You sometimes have a hard time seeing when
someone is trying to con you