Background Feats
The following feats are available to all PCs upon character creation, however you may only select one. This decision is irreversible and has potential in-game consequences, so please choose carefully. These feats are meant to somewhat vaguely portray one's background, however it's completely acceptable to take the closest concept to your own, should none of them fit well enough. Again, remember that the chosen feat can be taken into account by DMs in random encounters and planned events alike. In the case of picking only the closest possible background, be sure to remind DMs that your choice isn't 100% accurate.
[Artist]
Bonuses & Penalties: +2 Bluff, +2 Perform, +2 Knowledge: World
Special: Receives the Artist general feat for free.
Description: Whether self taught or mentored, your calling in life is that of the artistic. You have excelled in your chosen art, and look to raise yourself to greater heights yet, assured of your path in life.
[Disavowed]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Knowledge: World, +1 Diplomacy, -1 Intimidate, -1 Discipline
Special: Starts with an extra 350 silver and a customizable family crest.
Description: Once you were part of the nobility, but through unfortunate circumstances only you know, you were cast out by your family. Though you still have some emblem of your former privilege and the silver tongue your upbringing gifted you, you are forced to make a new life for yourself.
[Earthen]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Animal Empathy, +1 Knowledge: Nature, -1 Knowledge: Arcana, -1 Barter
Special: May spend two minutes communing with nature to gain +1 to Fortitude saves vs Disease and Poison for one hour, usable every hour but only in wilderness areas.
Description: Your comfort is in the wild places of the world; the forests, the mountains and anywhere that remains untouched by industry and the arcane. You have never put stock in material gain, for nature’s bounty has always been plentiful for you.
[Erudite]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Knowledges, +1 Linguistics*, -1 Discipline, -1 Taunt
Special: Has access to two extra languages for free.
Description: Bookish from childhood, your voracious hunger for knowledge has never fully been sated. Your studies led you on a seemingly endless journey, unearthing mysteries of the arcane and obscure language. Eventually, you realized tomes can only teach you so much, and now seek to learn through experience.
[Esurient]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Barter, +1 Knowledge: Arcana, -1 Intimidate, -1 Discipline
Special: Begin with 100 extra silver, and gains 5% bonus to profits from their player-owned store(s).
Description: Wealth is king, and you are its loyal subject. Your avarice and ambition have been the hallmarks of your life, always watchful for a bargain or a new enterprise. Although your career is just beginning, you are already on your way to becoming the next mercantile magnate.
[Inheritor]
Bonuses & Penalties: +2 to all Knowledges
Special: Receives a miscellaneous Inheritance item that may be customized - this is purely RP flavour.
Description: You are the heir to something of great value, if not to others, then at least to yourself – not mere coin or wealth, but an object or ideal that has been entrusted to you and perhaps you alone. Your inheritance might have come directly to you from a member of your family, by right of birth, or it could have been left to you by a friend, a mentor, a teacher, or someone else important in your life. The revelation of your inheritance changed your life, and might have set you on a new path, but it may come with many dangers, including those who covet or loathe your gift and want to take it from you - by force, if need be.
[Martial]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Concentration, +1 Discipline, -1 Heal, -1 Use Magic Device
Special: May use their Strength ability modifier on Intimidate rolls instead of their Charisma ability modifier, whichever is higher.
Description: As a student of the martial arts, formal or otherwise, the scars of failure were your only reward, your only souvenirs. Yet you value those scars, each an important lesson, knowing that whatever life throws at you, you’ll now weather it with a warrior’s stoicism.
[Nurturer]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Heal, +1 Knowledge: World, -1 Discipline, -1 Taunt
Special: May use Focused Nurturing, which increases Heal and Knowledge: World by 3 for one minute. This ability has a cooldown of an hour.
Description: Whether born into it or molded by circumstance; whether driven by obsession, a sense of duty or goodly inclinations, you are drawn to the nurturing and mending of either living creatures, nature, or particular objects or ideals. Your lot in life is that of the caretaker, whether in the metaphorical or physical sense, and it is one you cannot escape from - for good or ill.
[Pariah]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Search, +1 Knowledge: Nature, -1 Diplomacy, -1 Sense Motive
Special: Has a 5 minute lower cooldown when resting outdoors.
Description: You shunned or were shunned by society. Most of your life has been spent living life on your wits, away from civilization. You learned the ways of the land, taking solace in your own company, and though stronger for it, you now find it difficult to deal with other people.
[Praised]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Knowledge: Religion, +1 Diplomacy, -1 Bluff, -1 Hide
Special: May use Pray to the Gods, which causes you to kneel for a minute, receiving temporary hit points equal to the PC’s CL (Class Level) + 2 for an hour or until damage removes them (hit points cannot stack). This ability has a cooldown of an hour.
Description: From whence you hail you have been lauded for your piety and dedication to the gods. You come from a place of wealth, but most of it has been spent in currying favour with the divine - and in turn, the gods have blessed you.
[Privileged]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Taunt, -1 Knowledge: World, -1 Concentration
Special: Gets a 5% discount on buying property and monthly maintenance.
Description: Your life has been one of luxury, lacking almost any effort. You have cruised through the world with people to attend to your every whim. But for whatever reason, you’ve escaped from it. Either due to boredom or curiosity, you have uprooted yourself and decided to see what life is like on your own two feet.
[Skulk]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Move Silently, +1 Open Lock, -1 Knowledge: Nature, -1 Discipline
Special: Has a special dialogue option with certain NPCs to attempt to pickpocket them on an hour cooldown, granting them small amounts of silver if successful.
Description: Somehow you’ve always found yourself on the wrong side of the law, wantonly or not, and you’ve accepted it as your lot. You spent most of your life in cities, living on your wits and taking what you felt was owed to you by whatever means you needed.
[Struggler]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Discipline, +1 Concentration, +1 Knowledge: Nature, -1 Knowledge: World, -1 Hide
Special: Has an extra +2 on their rolls to stabilize.
Description: Nothing has been easy for you. Your entire life has been one arduous gauntlet, but despite all adversity you have made a name for yourself. Yet still you cannot escape your bad luck, nor the fact you came from nothing.
[Tempter]
Bonuses & Penalties: +1 Sense Motive, +1 Bluff, -1 Discipline, -1 Intimidate
Special: May use Avoidance, which grants +2 to all Disguise related rolls for 6 hours. This ability has a cooldown of 8 hours.
Description: You have spent your life manipulating others, whether out of a love for control, the thrill of the chase, or due to devotion to a higher ideal that you seek to sway others into.
*: This is not considered a 'hard rank, and does not contribute to languages learned from this skill.