Credits & Changelog
Last updated on Feb 3rd, 2017
This background appears in the Sword Coast Adventure Guide. I created this for those that do not have that available, as well as because the backgrounds in SCAG do not have actual rollable tables for personality traits, bonds, ideals, or flaws. In my party these are some of the funnest things about backgrounds so I wanted to provide these, and in an expanded format.
This was put together by Freewolf (/u/Freewolf). and posted to my Homebrew site for my D&D 5E campaign set in Eberron.
Praise be the master for creating The Homebrewery.
Version 1.1
- Added changelog.
- Added personality traits, bonds, ideals and flaws tables.
Version 1.0
- SCAG Version.
Urban Bounty Hunter
Before you became an adventurer, your life was already full of conflict and excitement, because you made a living tracking down people for pay. Unlike some people who collect bounties, though, you aren't a savage who follows quarry into or through the wilderness. You're involved in a lucrative trade, in the place where you live, that routinely tests your skills and survival instincts. What's more, you aren't alone, as a bounty hunter in the wild would be: you routinely interact with both the criminal subculture and other bounty hunters, maintaining contacts in both areas to help you succeed.
You might be a cunning thief-catcher, prowling the rooftops to catch one of the myriad burglars of the city. Perhaps you are someone who has your ear to the street, aware of the doings of thieves' guilds and street gangs. You might be a "velvet mask" bounty hunter, one who blends in with high society and noble circles in order to catch the criminals that prey on the rich, whether pickpockets or con artists. The community where you plied your trade might have been one of Eberron's great metropolises, such as Sharn or Wroat's Gate, or a less populous location, perhaps Stormreach or Passage-any place that's large enough to have a steady supply of potential quarries.
As a member of an adventuring party, you might find it more difficult to pursue a personal agenda that doesn't fit with the group's objectives- but on the other hand, you can take down much more formidable targets with the help of your companions.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Deception, Insight, Persuasion, and Stealth
- Tools Proficiencies: Choose two from among one type of gaming set, one musical instrument, and thieves' tools
- Equipment: A set of clothes appropriate to your duties, a set of manacles, 50' silk rope and a pouch containing 20 gp
Feature: Ear to the Ground
You are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area.
Suggested Characteristics
For instance, your bond might involve other bounty hunters or the organizations or individuals that employ you. Your ideal could be associated with your determination always to catch your quarry or your desire to maintain your reputation for being dependable.
BACKGROUNDS | URBAN BOUNTY HUNTER
| 2d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 2 | I always have plan for what to do when things go wrong. |
| 3 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. |
| 4 | I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds. |
| 5 | I ask a lot of questions. |
| 6 | I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. |
| 7 | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. |
| 8 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. |
| 9 | The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of every exit-or where such things could be hidden. |
| 10 | I dislike games of chance; they treat fortune as a trifle. |
| 11 | I do not lie and hate being lied to. |
| 12 | I blow up at the slightest insult. |
| 13 | I am cold and calculating in my every word and action, even when furious or frightened. |
| 14 | I am very good at waiting. Patience is a virtue I have conquered. |
| 15 | I can be cavalier and reckless when chasing my prey. |
| 16 | I have given names to my weapons and I talk to them. |
| d12 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil) |
| 2 | Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone. (Good) |
| 3 | Loose Cannon. Who cares how it happens as long as it gets done. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Honor. I only hunt those that deserve to be hunted down. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Cunning. I will outsmart my quarry. (Any) |
| 6 | People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down to Khyber for all I care. (Neutral) |
| 7 | Diligent. I'm getting paid to do a job, I'll see it to its completion. (Lawful) |
| 8 | Mission Oriented. I am good at completing my missions. What happens to my quarry is outside my area of responsibility. (Neutral) |
| 9 | Calm. I am content when I'm in midst of a chase. (Any) |
| 10 | Independence. I am a free spirit-no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) |
| 11 | Defense. The weak must be protected by great champions. (Good) |
| 12 | Justice. Every man must pay for their bad deeds – but I will make those who have hurt me pay for their deeds before it comes time to pay for mine. (Evil) |
| d12 | Bonds |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will become the greatest bounty hunter that ever lived. |
| 2 | Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again. |
| 3 | I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor. |
| 4 | I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it. |
| 5 | Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back. |
| 6 | My ill-gotten gains go to support my family. |
| 7 | I can never settle down in one place. |
| 8 | I hold no greater cause than my service to my people. |
| 9 | I shall catch my quarry fairly or not at all. |
| 10 | I'll draw a picture of every interesting thing I encounter. |
| 11 | There is an organization or individual that I am indebted to. I keep taking care of contracts for them. |
| 12 | One of my companions is my sibling or relative who's looking out for me. |
| d12 | Flaws |
|---|---|
| 1 | An innocent person is in prison that I captured and brought in. I'm okay with that. |
| 2 | When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money. |
| 3 | I like keeping secrets and won't share them with anyone. |
| 4 | I turn tail and run when things go bad. |
| 5 | I have a 'tell' that reveals when I'm lying. |
| 6 | If there's a plan, I'll forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll ignore it. |
| 7 | I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. |
| 8 | I'd rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. |
| 9 | If I'm outnumbered, I always run away from a fight. |
| 10 | I have made an enemy of someone that I brought in, who is determined to kill me. |
| 11 | I have a rival who seeks to thwart my endeavors. |
| 12 | Only the results are important. I can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. |
BACKGROUNDS | URBAN BOUNTY HUNTER
