Unsatisfied with the number of class features in PF2e/5e that pertained to the social characteristics of each character class, I went and wrote a few. The idea is that every player gets to pick one for their character. Character class need not match up with the corresponding ability below. So a wizard could take the 'Bard' ability, etc.
But everybody wanted two of them, so I said: "Well, okay. You can get a second one at level 10 or something."
Barbarian
You are accountable to traditions and customs that are not local to this land. If ever you do a faux pas, you may stake a claim to a foreign authority or tradition to absolve you of your crime. You are only ever guaranteed to get away with this once for each type of offense and group of people. It does not protect you from particularly severe consequences (like murder), but you may be able to, say, insult the mayor of a town or sleep with a wealthy merchant's daughter.
Bard
When you recap the last session at the start of this one, however you recap it become the history of the party. Your recap becomes a song, poem, or story that's shared wide and far. As you continue to develop this history, you will gradually become more famous.
Cleric
As a 1 Turn Ritual, you can spiritually determine whether a place is consecrated or desecrated (whether gods are watching or not). You can tell whether your devoted god is watching at any time instantly. If your god is watching and you do something glorious, you will be bequeathed a blessing.
Druid
You can concisely recount any knowledge you possess orally. You know the age of anything at a glance. You are exempt from all taxes. You may freely Speak with Animals provide you apologize to said animal and give them something tangibly valuable to you (a ration, a gold piece, a craft that took time to make, etc. Bigger animals like bigger/more things). You are forbidden from writing down your knowledge.
Fighter
You can assess anybody's physical 'Power Level' at a glance. The more time you spend studying them, the less vague your determinations.
Monk
Your personage is considered sacred. Any offense against your body is considered a sin. Anyone who's not a total rube will know it. If gods are watching, they'll know it.
Paladin
You instinctively know when oaths that you have professionally witnessed have been broken. This power does not tell you which one of those you've witnessed. You have a legal right to take from an oathbreaker that which they swore upon, and deliver it to authorities you recognize (state, religious, or otherwise).
Ranger
You know hidden pathways, water sources, and supply caches due to your membership in a Ranger's association. Each Association has about a half-dozen members, and oversees the wilderness and roads of the region you are currently adventuring in. Once per [a convenient amount of time] they all meet somewhere interesting - a smoky bar, a sacred grove, a place of power - to discuss professional matters.
Rogue
You can tell what class a person is by studying them for a minute, even if they're trying to hide it, unless they're an extraordinary actor. You always know the minimum acceptable bribe for a given situation.
Warlock
Your oathbreaking and lies cannot be detected unless you want it to (false negatives are automatically generated), even by magical means, even by a Paladin. You may masquerade as any other magic caster, and only masterful magicians can tell the difference by your practices.
Wizard/Sorcerer
You are part of a Wizard Gang, College Fraternity/Sorority, or Secret Society. You can instantly identify members of this organization, and you know their Cult Sign to verify it. Members are friendly by default, and will usually do their best to help you out. In any town you can spend a Watch to find fellow cultists.
Love it! I've been wanting to rework the benefits granted by backgrounds, and this could be a good place to start
ReplyDeleteSeems like one of them should be some kind of “detect alignment” ability, in the same vein of Fighter’s appraise power level.
ReplyDeleteIf alignment was a thing in the setting I was writing for, that probably would be one of the abilities.
Delete