Background: Isolated
You grew up in a situation where you had very little contact with the outside world—or with anyone, for that matter. You can count on one hand the number of people you interacted with regularly during a large portion of your early life. While you are not totally uncivilized, having so few points of contact with the outside world has left odd marks on your behavior.
Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: Choose two from gaming sets, musical instruments and artisan tools
Equipment: A set of common clothes, a set of bone dice or playing cards, a comfort item to fidget with (a very smooth stone, a useless metal contraption, a worn piece of cloth, or something similar), 5 candles, and a pouch of 10 gp.
A Lonely Life
Something that happened in your childhood or early life resulted in an extended period of isolation from society and confinement in a small area. Choose one of the following options or roll on the table to determine the situation you developed in. Also consider what changed in your life that motivated you to leave the place you were so accustom to and set out on adventures.
| d8 | Reason For Isolation |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was taken by a dragon or other intelligent creature and kept in their lair as a trophy or pet. |
| 2 | I am an illegitimate child of an important family, and my parents hid me away to protect their reputation. |
| 3 | A kidnapper, mad magical scientist, or abusive family kept me locked away and did horrible things to me. |
| 4 | A disease kept me bedridden for a long time. |
| 5 | I was raised in an isolated monastery or cult with very few members. |
| 6 | I suffer from extreme agoraphobia and refused to leave my home for a good part of my life. |
| 7 | I was a social outcast, and decided I was better off keeping to myself and not leaving home. |
| 8 | My family lived in the middle of nowhere, and I was never one for exploring the surrounding area. |
Feature: Boredom Resistance
Having grown accustom to an environment where excitement is hard to find, you handle boredom and tedium far better than most. You are able to perform exceptionally boring or infuriatingly repetative tasks an ordinary person would not have the patience for, as long as you are otherwise comfortable and not in danger. For example, you can wait in the same place for a week without feeling the need to wander as long as you have enough supplies, or you can listen to a stranger ramble on for hours about a topic you have no interest in while pretending to be engaged the whole time.
Suggested Characteristics
Isolated characters are often naive to the outside world and find many parts of it alien or confusing. They may approach it with enthusiasm, wishing to become a part of society, or they may be resistant and regard the world with fear and suspicion.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm always amazed when I see things I've only ever read about in books. |
| 2 | I've been isolated so long that I rarely speak, preferring gestures and the occasional grunt. |
| 3 | I'm oblivious to etiquette and social expectations. |
| 4 | When I find someone who resembles a person I knew from back home, I get quickly attached. |
| 5 | I find comfort in cramped, enclosed spaces. |
| 6 | Never underestimate how easily I can be entertained. |
| 7 | I treat every new place I set foot in like it's some magnificent ancient wonder. |
| 8 | I have proved time and time again that there is such thing as a stupid question. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Stability. I want my life to be predictable and safe. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Change. I've had far too much sameness in my life. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Revenge. I hate that I'm so disconnected, and I will make the one who did this to me pay. (Evil) |
| 4 | Connection. I crave meaningful friendships and want to attract others with kindness. (Good) |
| 5 | Assimilation. I'd do anything to integrate into society for real. (Lawful) |
| 6 | Aspiration. I've been nobody my whole life, I want to make myself somebody. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I desperately want to return to my old life. |
| 2 | I owe everything to those who rescued me from my previous lonely existence. |
| 3 | The one who raised me decided it was best for me to finally go free. I want to make them proud. |
| 4 | It is my dream to visit one spectacular place I have only heard about in books and stories. |
| 5 | I left the closest thing I had to a friend back home. I hope to convince them to leave with me someday. |
| 6 | I throw everything I have into my new friendships. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm not familiar with a lot of basic concepts normal people take for granted. What is this "spoon" of which you speak? |
| 2 | I'm terrified of crowds and can't handle too many people at once. |
| 3 | Everyone says I'm rude and offensive, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. |
| 4 | I spend so much time on my own that it's nearly impossible to get to know me. |
| 5 | Now that I'm a part of the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much. |
| 6 | I have a hard time accepting that trustworthy (or untrustworthy) people exist. |
Art Credit