D&D Companion

• Ability Scores: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence
• Feat: Crafter (see chapter 5)
• Skill Proficiencies: Investigation and Persuasion
• Tool Proficiency: Choose one kind of Artisan’s Tools (see chapter 6)
• Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Artisan’s Tools (same as above), 2 Pouches, Traveler's Clothes, 32 GP; or (B) 50 GP
You began mopping floors and scrubbing counters in an artisan’s workshop for a few coppers per day as soon as you were strong enough to carry a bucket. When you were old enough to apprentice, you learned to create basic crafts of your own, as well as how to sweet-talk the occasional demanding customer. Your trade has also given you a keen eye for detail.

• Ability Scores. A background lists three of your character's ability scores. Increase one by 2 and another one by 1, or increase all three by 1. None of these increases can raise a score above 20.
• Feat. A background gives your character a specified Origin feat (described in chapter 5).
• Skill Proficiencies. A background gives your character proficiency in two specified skills.
• Tool Proficiency. Each background gives a character proficiency with one tool—either a specific tool or one chosen from the Artisan’s Tools category. Tools are detailed in chapter 6.
• Equipment. Each background offers a choice between a package of equipment and 50 GP.

• Ability Scores: Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma
• Feat: Healer (see chapter 5)

Choose a species for your character. The following species options are detailed in chapter 4: Aasimar, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goliath, Halfling, Human, Orc, and Tiefling. Once you've chosen a species, write it on your character sheet. Then record your species’ traits.
Your character's size and Speed are determined by the character's species; record these in the appropriate places on your character sheet as well (you may write just the first letter of your size).

• Ability Scores: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom
• Feat: Alert (see chapter 5)
• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and Perception
• Tool Proficiency: Choose one kind of Gaming Set (see chapter 6)
• Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Spear, Light Crossbow, 20 Bolts, Gaming Set (same as above), Hooded Lantern, Manacles, Quiver, Traveler's Clothes, 12 GP; or (B) 50 GP
Your feet ache when you remember the countless hours you spent at your post in the tower. You were trained to keep one eye looking outside the wall, watching for marauders sweeping from the nearby forest, and your other eye looking inside the wall, searching for cutpurses and troublemakers.

• Ability Scores: Strength, Dexterity, Charisma
• Feat: Musician (see chapter 5)
• Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics and Performance
• Tool Proficiency: Choose one kind of Musical Instrument (see chapter 6)
• Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Musical Instrument (same as above), 2 Costumes, Mirror, Perfume, Traveler's Clothes, 11 GP, or (B) 50 GP
You spent much of your youth following roving fairs and carnivals, performing odd jobs for musicians and acrobats in exchange for lessons. You may have learned how to walk a tightrope, how to play a lute in a distinct style, or how to recite poetry with impeccable diction. To this day, you thrive on applause and long for the stage.

The Rare Languages table lists languages that are either secret or derived from other planes of existence and thus less widespread in the worlds of the Material Plane. Some features let a character learn a rare language.

Sixteen backgrounds are presented in this section in alphabetical order:
• Acolyte
• Artisan
• Charlatan
• Criminal
• Entertainer
• Farmer
• Guard
• Guide
• Hermit
• Merchant
• Noble
• Sage
• Sailor
• Scribe
• Soldier
• Wayfarer

Elemental forces and the building blocks of reality originate from these Inner Planes:
• Elemental Plane of Air. Winds blow clouds and floating islands across this boundless sky.
• Elemental Plane of Earth. This maze of caverns winds through stone and untold mineral riches.
• Elemental Plane of Fire. An everlasting inferno, this realm blazes with life on volcanic islands.
• Elemental Plane of Water. This bottomless ocean churns with mysterious sea life.
• Elemental Chaos. Here on the fringes of the Inner Planes, elemental forces clash unpredictably.
• Para-Elemental Planes. In these borderlands between the Elemental Planes, elemental forces combine into realms of ash, ice, magma, and ooze.

• Ability Scores: Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma
• Feat: Skilled (see chapter 5)
• Skill Proficiencies: Deception and Sleight of Hand
• Tool Proficiency: Forgery Kit
• Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Forgery Kit, Costume, Fine Clothes, 15 GP; or (B) 50 GP
Once you were old enough to order an ale, you soon had a favorite stool in every tavern within ten miles of where you were born. As you traveled the circuit from public house to watering hole, you learned to prey on unfortunates who were in the market for a comforting lie or two—perhaps a sham potion or forged ancestry records.

Determining your character's origin involves choosing a background, a species, and two languages. A character's background represents the place and occupation that were most formative for the character. The combination of background, species, and languages provides fertile soil for your imagination as you ponder your character's earliest days.

Your character knows at least three languages: Common plus two languages you roll or choose from the Standard Languages table. Knowledge of a language means your character can communicate in it, read it, and write it. Your class and other features might also give you languages.
The Standard Languages table lists languages that are widespread on D&D worlds. Every player character knows Common, which originated in the planar metropolis of Sigil, the hub of the multiverse. The other standard languages originated with the first members of the most prominent species in the worlds of D&D and have since spread widely.

\*Primordial includes the Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran dialects. Creatures that know one of these dialects can communicate with those that know a different one.

Your background gives proficiency in two skills and with one tool. Record this information on your character sheet.
Your class also gives proficiencies. Check your class description in chapter 3 and note the proficiencies on your character sheet.
On the sample character sheet, you can indicate proficiency in skills and saving throws by marking the circle next to them.
The features table in your class description shows your Proficiency Bonus (described in chapter 1), which is +2 for a level 1 character. Note this number on your character sheet. You'll fill in other numbers connected to these proficiencies in step 5.