Character Creation, Part III: Choose a Background

What did your character do before becoming a hero?

Where do you come from and what did you do there? This story assumes every player character is a native of Theros, so check out the list of notable locations. 

Once you've decided where you are from, think about what your life was like there, and choose a background. Choosing a background will give you an "origin feat", proficiency in certain skills, and three points that you can distribute amongst particular ability scores. Here are some fairly self-explanatory stock choices with their origin feats:

  • Acolyte. Magic Initiate (Cleric)
  • Artisan. Crafter
  • Charlatan. Skilled
  • Criminal. Alert
  • Entertainer. Musician
  • Farmer. Tough
  • Guard. Alert
  • Guide. Magic Initiate (Druid)
  • Hermit. Healer
  • Merchant. Lucky
  • Noble. Skilled
  • Sage. Magic Initiate (Wizard) 
  • Sailor. Tavern Brawler 
  • Scribe. Skilled
  • Soldier. Savage Attacker
  • Wayfarer. Lucky

Customizing your own background is not too difficult; it is fairly easy to imagine a construction worker would enter school with many of the same advantages as a farmer, and a physician's assistant would certainly have the healer feat.  

Alternatively, you can choose to be one of those kids who has known from early on that Strixhaven University was their destiny. In that case, you can take a special background, specific to one of Strixhaven's five colleges. (Though you will eventually get the benefits of this background, regardless.)

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