Character Background

You can only Select ONLY ONE (1) of these, during Character Creation ~ Choose wisely.

TYPE	DESCRIPTION	TYPICAL ALIGNMENT	BONUS CLASS SKILLS
FARMER	The farmer works his land to grow crops. Unlike a serf, farmers are landowners, giving them a certain level of status and protection in society. Ranchers and shepherds are also covered under this occupation as most farmers also keep animals. Farmers live away from urban areas and enjoy the freedom and solitude.	Any	Profession (Farming & Gardening) and Lore: Nature.
WOODSMAN	The woodsman is a forester that is generally engaged in providing lumber or firewood.	Any	Profession (Forestry) and Lore: Nature.
MINER	A miner spends most of their life beneath the earth, extracting valuable minerals.	Any	Bonus Class Skills: Profession (Mining) and Lore: Dungeoneering.
APPRENTICE	Apprentices are those learning a trade. This category is broadly defined, including blacksmiths, butchers, chandlers, or leather workers.	Any	Appraise and any one Craft skill.
LABORER	Laborers are the builders and movers of society. They work the docks, raise castle walls, and load and unload carts.	Any	Craft (Carving and Sculpting) and Lore: Architecture and Engineering.
ASTROLOGER	Astrologers study the movement of the stars and use them to attempt to understand cosmic forces and predict the future.	Lawful. Astrologers rely on celestial patterns to guide their lives.	Bonus Class Skills: Lore: Geography and Astrology and Lore: Religion.
SAILOR	Sailors make their living on the high seas, ferrying goods or passengers from port to port.	Chaotic. Sailors value the freedom to chart their own course away from the demands of society at large.	Bonus Class Skills: Athletics and Lore: Geography and Astrology.
ENGINEER	Engineers are studied in complex machines and systems, and use that knowledge to invent or design new technological solutions to problems.	Lawful or chaotic. Engineers are fascinated with complex structures, but they are also adaptable inventors good at thinking outside the box.	Craft (Engineering) and Lore: Architecture and Engineering.
COURTIER	The courtier is an attendant of the ruling authority. They are nobles that spend most of their time in the castle or palace of the ruler, where he can keep an eye on them and influence their families.	Lawful. Courtiers must understand and follow the rules of high society if they hope to maintain their standing.	Gather Information and Lore: Nobility and Royalty.
DIPLOMAT	The diplomat is a noble that specializes in negotiation.	Lawful. Diplomats must understand and follow the rules of courtesy if they hope to win influence.	Diplomacy and Lore: Nobility and Royalty.
LEADER	A leader understands people and how to direct them in ways that best make use of their talents.	Any	Diplomacy and Intimidate.
ACOLYTE	Acolytes are neophytes of a particular temple. In civilized lands, they live in dormitories and spend their days performing various mundane duties for their superiors. In more primitive or rural societies, they may be a single student of a mid or high level cleric.	Determined by the church and deity.	Concentration and Lore: Religion.
SCHOLAR	Scholars are researchers. They generally specialize in a particular field.	Any	Bonus Class Skills: Linguistics and Lore: History.
ARCANE SCHOLAR	Arcane Scholars are students of the theory and history of magic and magical creatures. They are not necessarily mages themselves.	Any	Use Magic Device and Lore: Arcana.
DIVINE SCHOLAR	Scholars of Religion are students of the customs and histories of the deities, their churches, and their priests. They are not necessarily priests themselves.	Any	Use Magic Device and Lore: Religion.
APOTHECARY	The apothecary is proficient in herbal remedies, poisons, and medical procedures. Apothecaries are most commonly found in rural areas, where clerics and temples are sparse. Many apothecaries choose to become druids.	Any	Heal and Lore: Nature.
SQUIRE	The squire is a noble warrior in training. He is assigned to a noble warrior and holds his extra weapons and shields. In return, the squire receives the training he needs to be a noble warrior one day.	Lawful. Squires must understand and follow the rules of high society if they hope to maintain their position.	Ride and Lore: Nobility and Royalty.
WIZARDS APPRENTICE	The mage's apprentice does menial chores for a wizard in the hopes of one day being taught magic themselves.	Any	Bonus Class Skills: Spellcraft and Lore: Arcana.
DRUIDS APPRENTICE	Initiate druids are rural townspeople being mentored and groomed for entrance into a druidic circle.	Neutral. Druids must understand the balance in all things.	Survival and Lore: Nature.
ATHLETE	Advanced societies can afford to sponsor athletic competitors for the benefit of the masses. Athletes are not gladiators; they compete in track and field games.	Any	Athletics and Acrobatics.
ACROBAT	The acrobat is skilled at finding faster and more unique ways to move around the world, such as free running and climbing.	Chaotic. Acrobats enjoy exploring and testing boundaries, often through places they aren't allowed to be at.	Acrobatics and Athletics.
BANDIT	Bandits are robbers that steal from their prey through intimidation. They are adept at surprising their opponents and catching them off-guard. While the rural highwayman is the traditional bandit archetype, this occupation also includes urban muggers.	Any evil except lawful. Bandits don't necessarily delight in cruelty, but they still cause pain and suffering to others for their own gain.	Hide and Intimidate.
PICKPOCKET	Pickpockets play a high stakes game of distraction and sleight of hand. Pickpockets can rob people in broad daylight, in the middle of a crowd, even while being watched.	Any non-lawful. Pickpockets are criminals, but their targets and motivations can be varied.	Bluff and Sleight of Hand.
BURGLAR	The burglar prefers to be where others aren't. Burglars enter homes in the dead of night and leave without a trace of their larceny.	Any non-lawful. Burglars are criminals, but their targets and motivations can be varied.	Move Silently and Open Lock.
HERMIT	The hermit lives apart from society. Unlike a nomad, the hermit has a place to call home, but it is often isolated. Adolescent hermits are either fugitives or children of established hermits. Students of druids or other reclusive spell casters are considered hermits.	Any. Some hermits are outsiders hiding from society, others might be deeply mystical and pursuing strict paths to inner harmony.	Survival and Hide.
HUNTER	Hunters primarily earn a living by hunting game animals. Unscrupulous hunters, known as poachers, hunt game on land owned by another.	Any	Survival and Move Silently.
NOMAD	The nomad is a wanderer, never staying in the same place for too long. He might be following a herd or simply hawking his talents or wares from village to village. The nomad only owns as much as he can carry.	Chaotic. Nomads are adaptable and prefer walking their own paths.	Survival and Ride.
COURTESAN	Courtesans are escorts or concubines of those that can afford their services. Courtesans are usually found as escorts of aristocrats or employees of a city brothel.	Neutral. The courtesan is a wearer of masks, skilled at being whoever their client wants them to be.	Diplomacy and Sense Motive.
BOUNTY HUNTER	The bounty hunter hunts people, not animals. Though they move around frequently, bounty hunters often have large social networks and contacts that help them find their targets.	Any. Bounty hunters can be agents of the law, killers for hire, or simple concerned citizens.	Gather Information and Lore: Local.
GLADIATOR	The gladiator represents any occupation that involves fighting as a spectator sport. While gladiators can be arena fighters, they are also bare-knuckle fighters and duelists.	Any	Acrobatics and Perform.
GUARD	Guards are protectors of castles, cities, and villages.	Lawful. Guards enforce the law of the land, whether just or unjust.	Spot and Sense Motive.
MERCENARY	The mercenary is a soldier for hire. Where a militia or peasant levy might only be raised in times of war, the mercenary travels from country to country, seeking conflict to earn their living.	Any	Parry and Lore: Geography and Astronomy.
SPY	Spies serve one organization to benefit another. A spy feeds information to their benefactor while working to sabotage the enemy from within.	Any Some spies are undercover agents of foreign governments, others are bought with coin or blackmailed into leaking information.	Disguise and Gather Information.
ENTERTAINER	Court jesters, tavern singers, circus jugglers, and stage actors have one thing in common; they want to entertain their audience.	Any	Perform and choice of Bluff (comedy), Disguise (acting), Acrobatics (dance), Linguistics (music, oration, or writing), or Sleight of Hand (street magic).
SCOUT	Scouts patrol the wilderness and make sure their employer's lands are secure. If they find an enemy, they trail them silently and report their movements.	Any	Hide and Spot.
SERVANT	The servant's job is to see to the needs of his master or patron, while remaining as out of the way as possible.	Any non-chaotic. Servants who act out quickly stop being servants.	Move Silently and Listen.
STABLEHAND	The stablehand grooms and takes care of horses for a lord or inn. Due to the comings and goings of horsemen, the stablehand learns a lot of information.	Any	Ride and Lore: Nature.
TAVERN WORKER	The tavern worker is the bartender or serving wench that provides food and drink to customers while sharing information.	Any	Diplomacy and Gather Information.
MERCHANT	The merchant is a buyer and seller of goods.	Any	Appraise and choice of Bluff or Sense Motive.
PIRATE	Pirates are the bandits of the seas. They take what they can and give nothing back.	Chaotic. Pirates prefer to live by their own rules, though some can be bought for a time to earn a ""legitimate"" living as privateers.	Intimidate and Athletics.
CON ARTIST	Con artists are criminals that steal from others using their social skills. They might run a rigged game or gain a person's confidence just to steal from him when his back is turned.	Any non-lawful Con artists are criminals, but their targets and motivations can be varied.	Appraise and Bluff.
BEGGAR	Beggars are common in any urban environment. Some of them are shunned due to their status or their health. Others are merely down on their luck. While beggars can be found in any age category, as a fantasy occupation it is assumed that the player character had to beg to survive in childhood.	Any	Bluff and Survival.
OUTLAW	The outlaw is a fugitive or exile on the run. While some are criminals, others were framed or forced out of their homes by unfair circumstances.	Any	Survival and Hide.
INVESTIGATOR	Despite the name, the investigator occupation includes magistrates, chancellors, and barristers as well as law enforcement investigators. Many feudal lords are also judges, and they may rely on subordinates to do the actual investigating for them. It is important to note that many ""investigators"" are more interested in extracting confessions rather than actually search for the truth.	Any	Gather Information and Sense Motive.
SOLDIER	The soldier is trained to fight and protect his homeland.	Any	Parry and Intimidate.
DEVOUT	You have always had strong faith and it's obvious to everyone around you. Your beliefs give you great mental strength, but you can be stubborn and hot-headed in conversations.	X	Concentration and Lore: Religion
CONFIDANT	X	X	Sense Motive and Bluff or Diplomacy
POLYGLOT	X	X	Linguistics and free language
SURVIVOR	X	X	Survival or Hide and Spot or Listen
TALENT	X	X	Bluff and Perform
TALE TELLER	From a young age, you learned that you could command attention and friendship with your tall tales. You become so wrapped up in your imagination that sometimes it's hard to focus on other matters.	X	Bluff or Perform and Lore Local or Lore History
TROUBLE MAKER	Boredom or malice led you to play a variety of tricks on people and consequently get into trouble. Curiosity always got the best of you, and you had difficulty resisting temptation.	X	(Sleight of Hand and Craft Engineering
WILD CHILD	In your youth, you were a free spirit, often left to wander and explore on your own. Your limited contact with others has left you unaware of the accepted value or significance of many things.	X	Survival or Acrobatics and Hide or Move Silently

— NWN2 & MotB ONLY!

• Bully :

  File:Bully.JPG

  "Whether through size, confidence, or a sinister appearance, you've always been able to provoke people into doing what you want. When things went wrong, you were tough enough to give as good as you got. Your fearsome presence often lends an unpleasant edge to even friendly conversations."

Prerequisite : Strength 10+

Effects : +1 Fortitude saving throws, +1 Intimidate, -1 Bluff, -2 Diplomacy.

• Devout :

  File:Devout.JPG

  "You have always had strong faith and it's obvious to everyone around you. Your beliefs give you great mental strength, but you can be stubborn and hot-headed in conversations."

Prerequisite : Wisdom 10+

Effects : +1 Will saving throws, +1 Concentration, -1 Diplomacy, -1 Bluff.

• Farmer :

  File:Farmer.JPG

  "Growing up on a farm taught you the ways of the land and watching over fields gave you keen eyes. Long workdays didn't leave much time for fancy learning."

Prerequisite : None

Effects : +1 Survival, +1 Spot, -2 Lore

• Flirt / Ladies' Man :

  File:Flirt.JPG

  "More than just an attractive face, you knew how to listen and talk in a way that many found very appealing. Unfortunately, you're so soft around the edges that no one takes you seriously when you try to act tough."

Prerequisite : Charisma 12+

Effects : +1 Listen, +1 Diplomacy, -2 Intimidate

• Militia :

  File:Militia.JPG

  "Strict training in the militia gave you excellent discipline, but your spirit was broken as you were forced to rise, march, and fight at the command of superiors."

Prerequisite : Base attack bonus +1

Effects : +2 Parry, +1 Craft armor, +1 Craft weapon, -2 Will saving throws

• Natural Leader :

  File:Leader.JPG

  "You were always watching out for others and trying to help them do their best. Your tendency to always keep an eye on everyone else causes you to neglect your own safety at times."

Prerequisite : Charisma 10+

Effects : +1 to companions' attack rolls, -1 to your Saving throws.

• Tale Teller :

  File:Teller.JPG

  "From a young age, you learned that you could command attention and friendship with your tall tales. You become so wrapped up in your imagination that sometimes it's hard to focus on other matters."

Prerequisite : Charisma 10+

Effects : +1 Lore, +1 Bluff, -2 Concentration

• Troublemaker :

  File:Trouble.JPG

  "Boredom or malice led you to play a variety of tricks on people and consequently get into trouble. Curiosity always got the best of you, and you had difficulty resisting temptation."

Prerequisite : Dexterity 10+

Effects : +1 Reflex saving throws, +1 Set trap, +1 Sleight of hand, -2 Will saving throws

• Wild Child :

  File:Wild.JPG

  "In your youth, you were a free spirit, often left to wander and explore on your own. Your limited contact with others has left you unaware of the accepted value or significance of many things."

Prerequisite : Dexterity 10+

Effects : +1 Survival, +1 Tumble, +1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, -2 Lore, -2 Appraise

• Wizard's Apprentice :

  File:Apprentice.JPG

  "Long hours spent training with a wizard taught you many esoteric secrets, but your powers of observation and resistance to the everyday plagues of the world suffered."

Prerequisite : Sorcerer, Wizard, or Bard class

Effects : +1 Spellcraft, +1 Lore, +1 Craft alchemy, -1 Spot, -1 Fortitude saving throws

NOTE: Saving throws are generally more valuable to keep than Skills, as they are usually harder to raise and more useful in a wide range of situations.

— Complete MotB & SoZ

Background	Prerequisite	Effects	Notes
None	"You do not have a significant background trait."
Appraiser	Intelligence 12+	+2 Appraise, +1 Lore, -1 Spot, -2 Bluff, -2 Sleight of hand	Bug: This feat seems to give +1 to Search as well.
Bully	Strength 10+	+1 Fortitude saving throws, +1 Intimidate, -1 Bluff, -2 Diplomacy
Confidant	Charisma 12+	+1 Bluff, -1 Intimidate, -1 Taunt
Devout	Wisdom 10+	+1 Will saving throws, +1 Concentration, -1 Diplomacy, -1 Bluff
Farmer	None	+1 Survival, +1 Spot, -2 Lore
Flirt / Ladies' Man	Charisma 12+	+1 Listen, +1 Diplomacy, -2 Intimidate	Flirt is exclusive to females; Ladies' Man is exclusive to males.
Foreigner	None	+1 Lore, -1 Diplomacy
Militia	Base attack bonus +1	+2 Parry, +1 Craft armor, +1 Craft weapon, -2 Will saving throws
Natural Leader	Charisma 10+	+1 to companions' attack rolls, -1 to your Saving throws.	Due to a bug, the +1 to attack rolls was not granted until v1.23.
Savvy	Charisma 10+, Wisdom 9 or less	+1 Diplomacy, -1 Will saving throws
Survivor	Wisdom 10+, Constitution 9 or less	+1 Search, +1 Spot, +1 Survival, -2 Fortitude saving throws
Tale Teller	Charisma 10+	+1 Lore, +1 Bluff, -2 Concentration
Talent	Bard	+1 Perform, -1 Will saving throws
Troublemaker	Dexterity 10+	+1 Reflex saving throws, +1 Set trap, +1 Sleight of hand, -2 Will saving throws
Veteran	Constitution 10+	+1 Fortitude saving throws, -1 Diplomacy
Wild Child	Dexterity 10+	+1 Survival, +1 Tumble, +1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, -2 Lore, -2 Appraise
Wizard's Apprentice	Sorcerer, Wizard, or Bard class	+1 Spellcraft, +1 Lore, +1 Craft alchemy, -1 Spot, -1 Fortitude saving throws