Lone Survivor (5e Background)
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Lone Survivor[edit]
You were a sole survivor of a major life-threatening event. Maybe your village or city was attacked by some great evil, or maybe you were tricked by some greater power. No matter the details, everyone other than you died, and you survived. Where were you when it happened? What age? Were you a small child, or a young adult? What attacked you? Was it one thing, or a group? What effect did this have on you? Were you traumatized, or were you strengthened by it? Did you run away, or did you fight it? Are there any remnants you kept or anything left, or was it all destroyed? Whatever the case may be, you walk on, carrying the weight of those who died. You might even be able to "hear" the voices of the people who died. They might be angry with you, or they might be forgiving. Maybe you lost a loved one or a childhood sweetheart, and maybe they also survived, or maybe they died. If they died, have they forgiven you? If they lived, do you seek to find them and them you? Regardless, you carry on without anyone but your memories of the ones you'd lost. You are a survivor; the lone survivor.
Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Perception.
Tool Proficiencies: Artisan's tools (one of your choice), or vehicles (water).
Languages: Any one.
Equipment: A trinket of your past (a necklace, ring, sword, severed finger or hair, etc.), a set of worn travelers clothes, the set of tools you are proficient in, a scroll detailing your life up to this point, a backpack, and a belt pouch with 15 gp in it.
Feature: Survival Instincts[edit]
Having survived for some years, you are able to make simple survival necessities. You can make fires, craft shelters, cook food, etc. without having to make a Survival check. Also, you may know several townspeople, hunters, and shop owners from your travels alone. Landmarks and places of interest may also be familiar to you.
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | When the going gets tough, you get going. |
| 2 | You never back down from a challenge, no matter the danger. |
| 3 | No matter the danger, you just refuse to let anything kill you. |
| 4 | The events you survive traumatize you, and the phantoms of your past haunt your dreams. |
| 5 | You seem unfeeling and apathetic to others, but you just refuse to allow anyone to get close to you so you can't lose anyone close to you again. |
| 6 | You love the rush of near-death experiences, and thus you are constantly seeking a bigger challenge to survive. |
| 7 | You wish that you could live a normal life, but know fate has chosen something else for you. |
| 8 | You like to crack jokes and make puns when you feel that you have got the advantage, or that you need to secure it. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Change: Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Greater Good: It is each person’s responsibility to make the most happiness for themselves. (Any neutral) |
| 3 | Might: The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) |
| 4 | Self Reliance: I live on because of my own grit and determination(Any) |
| 5 | Destiny: My life as been blessed by fate and I live to help those who can't help themselves. (Good) |
| 6 | Ancestry: I live by a strict set of moral codes written by my ancestors, and I live by them to do them proud. (Lawful) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My trinket is a symbol of my past life, and I carry it so that I will never forget my roots. |
| 2 | Someone out there might have also survived, and I need to find them. |
| 3 | My actions go to assist the people. |
| 4 | I want a bard or playwright to chronicle my adventures. |
| 5 | I am loyal to my friends as long as they promise not to die and keep that promise. |
| 6 | I have bonds to no one. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I feel as though I can't trust anyone lest they die. |
| 2 | I feel almost no emotion. |
| 3 | I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure. |
| 4 | I don't save people who can't save themselves. |
| 5 | Once someone questions my courage, I never back down no matter how dangerous the situation. |
| 6 | My obsession with the past has left me blind to the present. |
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