Traits Information
These are the original 1st edition traits/backgrounds that came with the game. We can use these to flavor the "generic" backgrounds of 2e, especially if you want to be a local to Sandpoint.
Best Customer
You’ve sat on your favorite barstool at the Rusty Dragon every night for as long as you can remember— and some nights you can’t remember thanks to a few too many drinks. In your various hazes, you’ve gotten to know the tap house’s proprietor, Ameiko, or one of her regulars, Sandru, quite well. Additionally, you’re well acquainted with a variety of uses for strong drink. Any time you have an alcoholic beverage on hand, you can expend one use of it to grant you a +2 trait bonus on a Heal check. This bonus increases to +4 if you’re treating your favorite drinking buddy (your NPC of choice). NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru.
Best Friends
You are best friends with one of the NPCs; you’ve grown up together, and while your friend has had a much more exciting life than you so far, you hope one day to follow in your friend’s footsteps and see the world—or perhaps even become an adventurer yourself. You’ve picked up a lot from your friend, but particularly his or her skill in interacting with others. If Ameiko is your best friend, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks. If Sandru is your best friend, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks. Whichever skill you gain a trait bonus on, that skill is always considered a class skill for you. In addition, in situations where your best friend is in danger, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your friend. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru.
Caravan Guard
You recently hired on to Sandru’s caravan to serve as a guard, but the job, while it paid well, gave you little chance to scratch the adventuring itch, since the caravan never really ventured into dangerous territory. You understand why Sandru avoided the more dangerous routes, of course, but that didn’t help assuage your urge to seek adventure. You’ve just told Sandru that you’re quitting the job in order to try your hand at adventuring— he seemed to understand, and even gave you some good tips on how best to survive potential challenges. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Survival checks, and Survival becomes a class skill for you.
Childhood Crush
You’ve never had the guts to act on it, but for as long as you can remember, you’ve had a crush on one of the NPCs. Someday, maybe you’ll be able to earn the NPC’s love, but for now, you’re content to spend time in the NPC’s proximity, or even to do things for the NPC that might earn you a word of thanks or a smile. Once per day, you may attempt to earn a kind word or a smile from the NPC whom you have a crush on by making a DC 15 Charisma check. If you’re successful, the elation and joy at the attention gives you a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws for the remainder of the day. If you’re ever lucky enough to win the NPC’s love, this +1 trait bonus on saving throws applies at all times, as long as your relationship remains active. Note that gender isn’t an issue in the case of these three NPCs. Unless your GM says otherwise, all three of these NPCs are considered to be bisexual as far as this trait’s implications are concerned. Note that if you take this trait, you’ll likely want to coordinate NPC choices with any other player who chooses this trait as well, since choosing the same NPC could cause unwanted party strife. Of course… if that’s what you and the other player are looking for, go for it! In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your crush. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru, Shalelu.
Eager Performer
Hearing that Sandpoint had a theater rivaling those found in large cities like Magnimar and Korvosa, you decided to try your luck getting stage time there. After sending a letter to Cyrdak Drokkus requesting an audition and not hearing back, you’ve taken it upon yourself to travel to Sandpoint and meet him in person, trusting your force of will and charming inf luence will get you what you want. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks for any one Perform skill. Additionally, choose any one spell of the enchantment school; its save DC increases by +1.
Family Ties
While not ethnically a Varisian, you have been raised among Varisians and they consider you one of their own. Furthermore, you managed to get in good with a group of Sczarni and consider them your new family. After being run out of the last place your Sczarni family camped, you tracked down a friend of the family in Sandpoint—a ruthless thug named Jubrayl Vhiski at the Fatman’s Feedbag. During your time with the Sczarni, you learned a few tricks of the trade. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you. In addition, you begin play able to speak and read Varisian.
Foreign-Tongued
Intrigued by the travels of one of your long-time acquaintances, you’ve convinced her to teach you one of the exotic languages she picked up in her journeys. Choose one of the following characters. You may select one of that character’s languages as a bonus language. Additionally, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks made to pass secret messages to the chosen character (see the description of the Bluff skill). NPC Choices: Ameiko (Tien, Varisian), Koya (Varisian), Sandru (Varisian), Shalelu (Elven, Goblin).
Foster Child
Koya Mvashti might be old enough to be your grandmother, but to you, she’s always been your mom. Ever since your parents passed away, Koya’s been taking care of you as if she were your mother. You never really figured out why Koya took you into her care, but you do know she’s done this before—most recently with Sandru Vhiski, whom you think of as your brother. Growing up, Koya made sure that you had the best education possible, particularly in one particular topic. Choose any Knowledge skill—you gain a +2 bonus on skill checks with that Knowledge skill, and it becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your adoptive mother.
Friend of the Family
Your family has been close friends with the Mvashtis for as long as you’ve been alive. Old Niska Mvashti’s called you to her house one day and made you make a promise: If her daughter Koya ever became in danger you would rise up to help protect her. Despite Niska still being alive it now feels as if her presence is hovering about you whenever danger is near and you’ve been able to react to dangerous situations more quickly than ever. As long as Koya remains alive, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, and Perception becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten Koya.
Friends and Enemies
One of your family members, perhaps a parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle, helped Daviren Hosk put down a group of goblins near Sandpoint. Since then, your family member passed away, but not before telling you about that day and the offer Daviren made her should she ever be in need. Once you make it to Sandpoint and meet up with Daviren Hosk at the Goblin Squash Stables, he gives you one of his best steeds and all the necessary accoutrements as gratitude for your family member’s help: a heavy combat trained horse, a military saddle, saddlebags, bit and bridle, a month’s worth of feed, and lifetime stabling at the Goblin Squash Stables.
Giant Slayer
Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.
Goblin Watcher
You grew up in Sandpoint staring off the cliff across the Varisian Gulf. Spending so much time there at Junker’s Edge watching the goblins below as they scrounged through the discarded junk and seeing what they made out of the garbage, you developed an eye for spotting the most useful and valuable discarded items. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Appraise checks, and a +5 trait bonus on Appraise checks to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard.
Hagfish Hopeful
Ever since passing through Sandpoint when you were a child and hearing about the contest at the popular tavern known as the Hagfish, you wanted to take that coin purse as your own and carve your name on the ceiling beam above the bar. Training yourself to choke down indigestible food and drink water a pig would refuse, you’ve built up quite a strong resistance to all things putrid and gross. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Hero Worship
Everyone in town seems to admire Ameiko and Shalelu—they’re heroes, after all. You, though, take this admiration to a new level—you practically worship one of these two. This could be because you saw one of them perform a particularly impressive act of bravery at some point in the past, or maybe they just happened to give you the exact right words of encouragement or a kind gift at some point a few years ago when you were young and impressionable. In any case, you’ve done your best to emulate your hero’s talents at spellcasting or combat. If your hero is Ameiko, you gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks. If your hero is Shalelu, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC against attacks of opportunity. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your hero. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Shalelu.\
Merchant Family
You are related to one of the four noble families from Magnimar who founded the Mercantile League of Sandpoint. You either grew up in Magnimar as a cousin in the Valdemar or Deverin family or were born and raised in Sandpoint. Education in running a business and years of looking after the family enterprise have given you a knack for trade. You increase the gp limit of any settlement by 20% and can resell items at an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Monster Hunter
Perhaps you came to the Varisian Gulf in search of the Sandpoint Devil, or maybe you followed fisherman’s tales of Old Murdermaw— regardless, you’ve ventured through Varisia to hunt down famous monsters. While they have all eluded you so far, you made it to Sandpoint to research and restock before heading back out into the wilderness. Because of your training, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against aberrations and magical beasts.
Rescued
At some point in the past, you had a terrifyingly close brush with death. Maybe a goblin nearly killed you during an attack on the town, or perhaps a building struck by a giant’s boulder collapsed around you. Whatever the peril was, you would have certainly died if not for the swift actions of Koya or Shalelu, who intervened just in time to save your life. You’ve never forgotten this, and remain fiercely loyal to the NPC who saved you. Perhaps even more importantly, the method in which she saved you seems to have had an impact on your own skills. If Koya saved you, she did so by casting a healing spell on you just before you died, and as a result you gain a +2 trait bonus whenever you use cure spells to heal damage. If it was Shalelu who saved you, she did so by pulling you to safety while simultaneously defeating the peril that almost did you in, and as a result, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks and Acrobatics is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your savior. NPC Choices: Koya, Shalelu.
Sandpoint Faithful
As a faithful adherent of Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Sarenrae, or Shelyn, you’ve come to the Swallowtail Festival to celebrate the consecration of Sandpoint Cathedral. You gain a silver holy symbol of your chosen deity, and so long as you worship that deity and openly wear his or her symbol, you regain +1 additional hit point every time you receive magical healing.
Scholar of the Ancients
Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.
Student of Faith
While you have personally dedicated your life to a single deity, you study all religions and mortal faiths. Upon hearing that the town of Sandpoint recently completed a cathedral dedicated to the six deities most popular in the area, you had to see the place for yourself, and have arrived in time for the consecration of this holy edif ice. Because of your strong faith and broad range of study, you cast all cure spells at +1 caster level, and whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.
Student Survivalist
Although she is seen as something of a mystery to most of Sandpoint’s citizens, Shalelu has never really seemed all that mysterious to you. Of course, that’s probably because she helped raise you. You have never quite figured out why Shalelu decided to treat you as a younger sibling, but you certainly appreciated it— and you eagerly absorbed all of the survivalist tricks that she showed you over the years. As a result, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all Survival checks, and Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your mentor.
Thrill Seeker
You’ve grown up in or around Sandpoint and are the heir to your family’s modest farm, shop, or fishing boat, but you’ve always dreamed of more. Searching for a taste of excitement, you’ve come into town to participate in this year’s Swallowtail festival. The thrill of danger grants you an additional +5 feet of movement during the first round of any combat. Additionally, you begin play with three star candle fireworks (see Ultimate Equipment).
Younger Sibling
You’ve lived your whole life in the shadow of your older sibling, a person who seems to have the adventure-filled lifestyle you’ve always wanted for yourself. While your sibling always took care of you, he or she never supported your desire to become an adventurer—your sibling never explained why, only saying, “Adventuring can cause a lot of pain just as easily as it can bring success and riches.” As a younger sibling to one of Sandpoint’s more influential citizens, you share some of that NPC’s innate talent and skill at adventuring. If you’re Ameiko’s younger sibling, your ferocious independence and self-confidence give you a +1 trait bonus on Will saving throws. If you’re Sandru’s younger sibling, your hearty constitution gives you a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude saving throws. If you’re Shalelu’s younger sibling, your quick ref lexes give you a +1 trait bonus on all Ref lex saving throws. Note: Although you’re a younger sibling of an established NPC, this doesn’t necessarily lock you in to being the same race as that NPC—if you’re a different race or ethnicity than the NPC you choose as your older sister or brother, you were adopted into the family by your parents. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your older sibling. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru, Shalelu.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:57, Mon 05 Oct 2020.
