Rural Commoner
You were what most people are- a farmer, a rancher or work in lumber. You worked on a lord's estate or their land, or you worked for a farm owner, and you produced resources from the land in return for food, shelter, clothing, protection, and other benefits. Farmers focus on raising living things and harvesting various useful goods- mostly food- from them. Farmers make up the vast majority of the peasantry, alongside other raw resource producers, such as miners and fishermen. Farmers are a hearty, enduring folk, they work long hours under the sun, often doing dirty and exhausting- or even disgusting work. How did you become a farmer, and for how long were you one? What did you do on your farm? Were you the landlord of the farm, or were you just a farmhand? And what caused you to leave that life behind? Was your home destroyed by war? Were you cast out for some crime? Did you flee taxes you could not pay? Were you called to join the Lord's army? Was your home stolen by an unscrupulous rival? How did you learn your current profession?
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling and Nature
Tool Proficiencies: Land Vehicles and one Farm Implement
Equipment: A farm implement, (such as a pitchfork or shovel) a set of work clothes or common clothes, a wide brimmed hat, a sack containing 5gp worth of common goods, and a belt pouch containing (2d6+2)sc.
Farm
Not every farm is alike, there are a vast range of goods produced by farmers of different sorts, and nearly all farms focus on just one product, or a limited group of products.
Specialization
| d6 |
|
| 1 |
Rancher. You raised animals for slaughter, most likely for food, but may also be done for leather, furs, and other useful materials. |
| 2 |
Ranch Hand. You harvested goods produced by animals, such as milk, eggs, feathers, or wool. |
|
| 3 |
Harverster. You harvested edible or useful plants, such as wheat and corn crops, or apples at an orchard. |
| 4 |
Forester. You grew and cut trees for ornament or construction, such as trees grown for bow staves, or boat masts. |
| 5 |
Lumberjack. You cut trees down for a living. You hacked limbs off and cut trunks so they could be moved to market. |
| 6 |
Hostler. You raised and bread horses. You also trained them for war. |
Feature: Of the Land
You lack the formal education and literacy, but for how little you may know, there is a great deal that you understand. You have a practical, working knowledge of living off the land and meteorology, and can easily track the time and date, as well as predict the weather within a few hours, or days if you're lucky. You understand the "secrets of life"; the needs of life (water, light, air, food, etc.) and the connections between plants and animals.
Alternate Feature: Of the People
For better or for worse, you are just very normal. Among commoners and on the road, most people just don't even notice you, and security checks at city gates or on the road are often brisk and half-hearted. People tend to trust that you're just another face in the crowd. However, whenever you are some place commoners should not be, or normally are not seen, you stand out like a sore thumb and draw a good deal of attention, one way or another. You are unlikely to be preceded by your reputation, if you even have one, and if you do, nobody expects it.
Suggested Characteristics
Personality Trait
| d8 |
|
| 1 |
I'm always early to bed and early to rise. |
| 2 |
I keep my gear and supplies in careful check. |
| 3 |
I speak with a distinctive drawl or accent common to my class. |
| 4 |
I always save up as much as I can, spending and consuming only what I must. |
| 5 |
When work needs doing, I do the work. |
| 6 |
I keep constant track of the sun, moon, stars, seasons, and weather. |
| 7 |
I like to sleep in the sun when I can. |
| 8 |
I'm always chewing on a sprig of grass, a toothpick, tobacco, seeds, or preserved meat. |
Ideal
| d6 |
|
| 1 |
Fill the Need. There are a lot of hungry mouths in the world, with enough hands the world can feed them all. (Good) |
| 2 |
It's a Living. I do what I'm good at because what I'm good at is good for me. (Neutral) |
| 3 |
Brutal Practicality. Bury a fish or bury a man, just get the job done. (Evil) |
| 4 |
Hard Work. A labour of love is a purpose and meaning. (Lawful) |
| 5 |
A simple way of life. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! (Neutral) |
| 6 |
Amusement. Playing a hand in the growth and development of things delights me. (Chaotic) |