The background generator is intended to remove the creative pressure that can sometimes frustrate players as they try to flesh out the murky details of their characters' backgrounds. This generator provides these details with either a simple roll of the die or the players deliberately selecting from options on the furnished tables and lists. Think of each element on the background generator's tables as a piece of story material that you can link together with other random pieces to create a story you otherwise might now have imagined. Use this tool to inspire creativity rather than as hard-and-fast rules to mandate rigid and seamless character backgrounds. Though the generator provides many foundational details of a character's background, it takes some creative thought to massage the specifics together. As you use the generator, feel free at any point to reject or reroll contradictory elements or ones that go against your vision of the emerging character. Like the background questions presented earlier in this chapter, the ideas on these tables are simply suggestions designed to channel and focus your imagination. To generate a background, you roll on a number of tables and sub-tables, but before you do this, you must decide the gender, race, and class of your PC. Such decisions will help to inform the tables you'll use. After you've determined these basic character elements, you can begin using the background generator to determine your character's unique background by following the three steps summarized below. Step 1—Homeland, Family, and Childhood Determine the circumstances of your birth, your parents' profession, and a major childhood event. To determine the number of siblings you have, roll on the table appropriate for your race. For each sibling you have, roll d%; 01–50: the sibling is female, 51–100: the sibling is male. Then roll on Table: Siblings to determine the relative age of the sibling. Step 2—Adolescence and Training Determine the circumstances and events that defined your adolescence and the training you received, as well as create an influential associate from this time in your life. Step 3—Moral Conflict, Relationships, and Vulnerabilities Determine a major conflict in your past, the other party involved, and how you resolved the conflict. Also determine your romantic relationships, relationships with fellow adventurers, and personality drawbacks. While rolling on the tables in these three steps, you are sometimes granted access to a trait, story feat, or drawback. Upon gaining access to one of these rules elements, write it down. At the end of background generation, you can choose up to two of the traits you've gained access to. If you gained access to at least one drawback, you can take one of those drawbacks to gain an additional trait you have access to (following the normal rules for trait selection). When you gain access to a story feat, it means you've met the prerequisite for the feat and can take it at any time, not just at character creation. Step 1—Homeland, Family, and ChildhoodThe tables below determine the basics of your family and homeland. These establish the circumstances of your upbringing, the composition of your family, and your family's social standing, as well as a major event you experienced in childhood. To determine these aspects of your background, do the following:
DwarfMany dwarves come from industrious and tight-knit communities of like-minded individuals who work together to accomplish a common goal.
ElfElves are often raised in insular elven communities, and the longevity of these people means that elven children often grow up with the help of a large social network.
GnomeThe capricious and carefree gnomes of the world are widespread and varied. They typically either form their own gnome communities or integrate themselves into other humanoid societies.
Half-ElfBorn of two very different worlds, half-elves rarely have easy childhoods. Torn as half-elves are between disparate peoples, the presence of their families helps ensure they do not grow up totally alone, though orphaned half-elves have to create families of their own.
Half-OrcOnly rarely the result of a happy union between the humans and orcs that bring them into the world, half-orcs are often regarded as monsters. This bleak reality makes those rare half-orcs, cherished as much as the young of any other race, even more extraordinary.
HalflingSocial and amicable by nature, halflings fit equally well in both communities of humans and those of their wily kinsfolk. Prone to wanderlust, halflings can be found anywhere civilized humanoids settle.
HumanAs diverse as they are widespread, humans tend to grow up in small or large societies of people with similar origins and histories, though individuals' paths may run the gamut from idealized to tragic.
SiblingsIf you have at least one sibling, roll on Table: Relative Age of Sibling to determine the relative age of each sibling. For each adopted sibling, roll on Table: Race of Adopted Sibling to determine that sibling's race.
Unusual HomelandYou grew up in a region not typically associated with the lands that your people call home. Roll on Table: Unusual Homeland to determine the homeland of your family. If the result is one that is typical for your race, this region is one where there are few other members of your race, outside of your family.
Circumstance Of BirthRoll once on Table: Circumstance of Birth to determine the circumstances of your birth.
Parents' ProfessionMost of the time, your parents both come from the same social stratum. It's uncommon, but not unheard of, for people to marry outside their caste. Roll on Table: Parent's Profession to determine the principal profession of your parents.
Adopted Outside Your RaceIf you made a roll that determined your character was adopted outside your race, roll on Table: Adopted Outside Your Race to determine the type of creature that raised you.
NobilityAs a person of noble rank, you have access to a degree of wealth, privilege, or influence beyond that of the common people. If your character is of noble birth (and comes from a society where the nobility uses a traditional structure of rank), roll on Table: Nobility to learn your parents' position among the ruling class.
Major Childhood EventDuring your childhood, you were influenced by a significant event that helped to shape the person you became. Roll on Table: Major Childhood Event to determine the type of event that shaped you in early childhood.
Crime and PunishmentIf you have the Criminal social trait, roll on Table: Crime to determine the crime for which you were accused or convicted. After determining the crime, roll on Table: Punishment to learn the severity of the punishment you received—or have yet to receive—for having been judged guilty.
Step 2—Adolescence and TrainingThe training you undertake during your youth decides the person you will become in adulthood. To determine these aspects of your background, do the following:
AlchemistInstead of wielding magic as divine and arcane casters know it, alchemists master fiery concoctions and mutagens by studying formulae that unlock the secrets of reagent reactions. Though some alchemists use their discoveries and knowledge of rare and exotic components to benefit the world, others are not so scrupulous with their powerful potables. Roll on Table: Alchemist Backgrounds to determine what event inspired you to study alchemy.
BarbarianBarbarians are fueled by an almost supernatural rage that helps them loose the volatile stores of adrenaline within their bodies. This rage stays with the barbarian throughout her life as an adventurer, and she learns to refine her fits of passionate anger only over time. Yet each barbarian's rage is different and personal. It comes from the primal depths of her soul, and cannot be manufactured. Only a select few can channel that purest, deepest rage into overpowering combat prowess. Roll on Table: Barbarian Backgrounds to determine the event that caused you to first experience your rage.
BardBards have a talent for song and story, and they come to their careers by developing this talent as they pick up on a smattering of other skills. Roll on Table: Bard Backgrounds to determine the incident that brought you to that path.
CavalierA cavalier is a mounted warrior who abides by some edict or code—even a personal code that may apply only to that cavalier. How exactly this pattern of moral judgments and personal beliefs came to be serves as the foundation of a cavalier's call to duty. Roll on Table: Cavalier Backgrounds to determine how you obtained the code that set you upon the cavalier's path.
ClericClerics are not merely people of religious faith—they are devoted servants who wield true divine power from their deities. The particular path that steers a cleric toward her faith can mean the difference between a demon-worshiping cultist and a lawful harbinger of her deity's blessed faith. The following background events outline some of the ways clerics find their faith. Roll on Table: Cleric Backgrounds to determine how you came to your faith.
DruidDruids come by their primal power in various ways. One druid might receive her power from an elemental creature, and another might learn it from a beast or the fey. Roll on Table: Druid Backgrounds to determine the event that caused you to come into your power.
FighterThose who become fighters take up the sword for many reasons. Some fight for coin, others for duty, and others for survival. Roll on Table: Fighter Backgrounds to determine the event that led you to this profession.
GunslingerArmed with dangerous, emergent technology and blessed with death-defying luck and skill, gunslingers are practically born to be legends. But for every gunslinger who rises to epic fame as a hero or villain, another has been left lifeless at the hands of the weapon she sought to master. Regardless of this destiny, however, no other class is so wedded and intrinsically linked to a single kind of weapon as the gunslinger. How she came to possess, learn, and master the unique power of firearms forms the backbone of every gunslinger's current motivations. Roll on Table: Gunslinger Backgrounds to determine what event caused you to choose the way of the gun.
InquisitorBolstering the ranks of both good and evil deities, inquisitors draw their power from unwavering convictions to the causes of their gods. Unlike clerics and oracles, however, inquisitors are less interested in the theological and metaphysical aspects of faith and belief than what they consider to be the harsh realities of defending that faith. Roll on Table: Inquisitor Backgrounds to determine what event made you temper your faith with stern judgment.
MagusThe rare spellcasters known as magi dedicate themselves to the synthesis of two separate disciplines: sword and spell. This core of all magi can be embraced only with ambition and purpose. Roll on Table: Magus Backgrounds to determine what event drove you to blend martial powers and magical ability.
MonkMasters of the martial arts, monks are the pinnacle of discipline and perfection. Wielding strange arms and stranger fighting arts, monks are defined by their training. Whether brought up as the protege of a grand master or self-taught through stolen glimpses into the windows of a secret school, a monk's story is emblazoned in every step, cut, and strike he makes. Roll on Table: Monk Backgrounds to determine the origin of your exotic training.
OracleOracles do not choose their path. Rather, the oracle's mystery chooses her in the midst of a climactic event that marks the oracle with an abiding curse. Roll on Table: Oracle Backgrounds to determine your mystery.
PaladinChampions of virtue and the rule of law, many paladins are called to their path at a young age. Some hear the whispers of celestial beings in their minds, while other are drawn down the path of the paladin by tragedy and a sincere desire to strike a blow to the evil that stalks the world. Paladins sometimes take on younger charges such as orphans or runaways during their journeys, and the seeds of goodness can be sowed into these impressionable youths to grow another knight on the quest for righteousness. Roll on Table: Paladin Backgrounds to determine the formative events that led you to become a paladin.
RangerRanger are the hunters of legend. Although known for their ability to master varying environments and their dangers, rangers often achieve this expertise through the dedicated pursuit of their quarry. Though such a target could be a lost or kidnapped friend or a forgotten ruin, more often a ranger's target is a hated enemy, and no feature of the class lends itself better to the establishment of character than his favored enemy. While a professional headhunter might hone his skills to track down humans or other civilized folk, a ranger whose family was murdered by ravenous orcs likely has a different set of priorities while on the hunt. Roll on Table: Ranger Backgrounds to determine the formative events that led you to become a ranger.
RogueThe rogue's path is one of cunning, quickness, skill, and stealth. One of the broadest character archetypes, the rogue is found among all walks of life—from highborn spies infiltrating the courts of kings to common criminals making their livings preying on passersby in the alleys and streets. Roll on Table: Rogue Backgrounds to determine how you came to the profession.
SorcererWielders of power on a seemingly impossible scale, sorcerers are conduits of the arcane energies inside them. These powers stem universally from the sorcerers' distinctive bloodlines. Either linked to powerful scions of mystical power like angels, devils, or dragons or touched by the forces of destiny themselves, sorcerers prove that sometimes when magic is involved, either you have it or you don't. Roll on Table: Sorcerer Backgrounds to determine the event that made you aware of the forces at work within your own blood.
SummonerMost, if not all, spellcasters can call to otherworldly creatures for aid. and though many learn to call increasingly powerful minions to assist them, none boast the same connection to these outsiders as summoners do. a summoner is defined by the bond formed with the single creature that acts as his eidolon. Protectors, steeds, and links to other worlds, eidolons are lifelong companions for their mortal masters. The choice to tie oneself to an eidolon and the circumstances leading to that choice form the foundation of any summoner's character. Roll on Table: Summoner Backgrounds to determine what caused you to forge your otherworldly bond with your trusted companion.
WitchSome witches make pacts for their power by choice. Many more discover it by accident or circumstance. Roll on Table: Witch Backgrounds to determine which of the following events shaped your early life and sent you down the witch's path.
WizardPerhaps no other class exemplifies the acquisition of power through sheer focus and determination as well as the wizard. Neither touched by divine purpose nor blessed with magic in their blood, wizards must spend their entire lives studying the same texts, tomes, scrolls, and recitations to master the magical arts. Such a craft can be self-taught or instilled through instruction, learned in an academy or at the fringes of the world, but it can be mastered only through the most rigorous and regimented of study. Roll on Table: Wizard Backgrounds to determine how you came to study wizardry, and how that study forever shaped you.
Influential AssociatesInfluential associates are people who had (or continue to have) a strong influence upon your development. They are archetypes and templates for NPCs that you can customize to fit your background. Roll on Table: Influential Associates to determine an associate or ally who had a major influence on your life. Then flesh out the details to show how this person fits within your story. You might also wish to use other tables in this chapter to randomly fill in this person's details.
Step 3—Moral Conflicts, Relationships, And DrawbacksWith age come the events and relationships that leave a definitive mark on your personality. You face and resolve moral challenges, your romantic relationships blossom and sometimes wilt, you meet those who become adventuring companions, and you face your vulnerabilities either in the form of personal challenges or adversaries who represent some side of yourself. To determine a major conflict you had in the past, as well as your romantic relationships and personality drawbacks, do the following:
Major Conflict and AlignmentThe following tables provide a means of determining your alignment by introducing a pivotal moral conflict in your early life—one moment during your ethical development that determined the kind of person you grew up to be. When determining your conflict, you accumulate a number of Conflict Points (CP). The conflict and your motivation are each worth a number of CP; you can adjust the number of CP based on the resolution of the conflict. When you determine the total CP, you then must add your CP on one alignment track or distribute the points on both of them—the good-evil track and the lawful-chaotic track, as detailed on Table: Determining Alignment. Position 1 on the track represents the first CP added. Each point on the first track represents you turning away from what is good and heading down a path of evil. Each point on the second track represents a disregard for law as you grow more chaotic. This determines how the conflict ultimately affected your alignment and to what extent. If you are using the rules for changing your alignment, this also determines your starting place on the alignment track. If you start with 0 CP on either track, assume you start at 1 on the track for those rules. ConflictsBegin by rolling on Table: Conflicts. This table lists 20 conflicts, ranging from minor indiscretions to grievous sins. The type of die you roll on this table is based on the needs of the campaign as well as your character's starting class. First, consult with your GM; If you can play any alignment in the campaign, roll a d20. If your campaign allows only nonevil characters, roll a d12. If you are playing a paladin or some other character who must be good, roll a d6. Once you are done, proceed to Table: Conflict Subject and to the tables and sections subsequent to it.
Conflict SubjectTo determine the key person (or people) involved in the conflict, roll on Table: Conflict Subject. Only on the rare occasion that the subject was a child or a young person does the subject affect the accumulation of CP.
Conflict MotivationTo determine the source of your motivation for the conflict, roll on Table: Motivation. If the campaign allows the full spectrum of alignments, roll a d10 on this table. If the campaign allows only nonevil alignments, roll a d8. If you're a paladin, roll a d4. The motivation affects the CP gained from the conflict.
ResolutionOnce you determine the nature and CP for the event, the next step is to determine the resolution. Instead of rolling for the conflict's resolution, you choose how you dealt with it, and your choice can affect the number of CP the conflict is worth. In games that do not allow evil characters, you cannot take a resolution that would adjust your character to an evil alignment.
Deity and Religious PhilosophyOnce you have determined your alignment, choose a deity or religious philosophy. Association with a specific deity gives you access to a related religion trait. Even if you are not interested in your character being associated with a deity, you can choose "No Deity" or "Undecided" granting you access to abilities outside the realm of faith.
Romantic RelationshipsRoll on Table: Romantic Relationships to determine the kinds of romantic relationships you have had in the past. You might have a background that requires you to roll a d12 on this table instead of a d20.
Relationship with Fellow AdventurersThis table is best used by the adventuring party as a whole to determine starting relationships between the characters. One player begins the process by choosing someone in the group and rolling to learn the relationship between her and the second character. Then the next player chooses a different character and rolls to determine their relationship, and so on, until finally the last player rolls to determine his relationship with the first character. It is easiest to do this sitting around a table, with each player passing the dice clockwise until the dice have completed a full turn around the table. You can also use this table free-form if you wish, rolling for your relationship for as many or as few of the other characters as you care to define; however, the first method guarantees that every character has connections to two other characters to improve group cohesion. If you end up with a result that makes no sense or isn't possible, reroll or just chose another option.
Character DrawbackCharacter drawbacks are emotional weak points—chinks your armor. a drawback gives you a small mechanical penalty and a roleplaying hook. Drawbacks also serve as loopholes in the alignment system. When roleplaying your drawback, you might act well outside the bounds of your alignment within certain situations. Each of the following grants a drawback you may choose to take. If you take a drawback option, you may take three traits you have access to instead of two. Roll on the following table to determine your character's drawback. Discuss with the GM the details of this drawback, such as what the attachment is or who the person involved might be.
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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign. © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Ryan Costello, Adam Daigle, Matt Goetz, Tim Hitchcock, James Jacobs, Ryan Macklin, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Stephen Townshend.