Point-based new backgrounds (hat tip to Forgot My Dice)

Image from Forgot My Dice, Backgrounds for the Wild

Over at Forgot My Dice, the proprietors published a few new backgrounds.

For various reasons, I’ve been on a background kick recently, and I posted a guide to using points to balance backgrounds. Seeing his backgrounds, the first thing that struck me is that the first one had three skills . . . which is a supposed no-no.

But I like it, and sometimes that makes sense. So, given the guidelines (especially in the after-the-parting-shot version from the bottom of my post, how do his backgrounds work out?

Chieftain (Variant Noble)

Skills: Three of them (12 points)
Languages: One, and no tool proficiencies (2 points)
Class Feature: One (5 points)

That leaves 1 point for equipment, but the only thing you get is a token of authority, and if we say that’s worth 10gp or less, this background meets the 20-point guideline.

Sweet.

Hunter (Variant Soldier)


This one just trades out the class feature, so there’s no way to ascertain balance.


Shaman (Variant Acolyte)


Skills: Two of them (6 points)
Languages: One tool proficiency (2 points)
Class Feature: One (5 points)

That leaves 7 point for equipment, which should get you 60gp worth. Herbalism kit is only 5gp, a dagger is 2gp. Based on the prices of trade goods, you’re probably looking at 1-3 gp worth of herbs, tops. So maybe 10gp of equipment, meaning there’s room for 50gp of stuff and still not crazy-town.

You can’t get a third skill (that’s 6 points, which is the equivalent of 55gp or so), or a second feature (that’s 10 points required). You could get a language (2 points) and still have 50gp, but not two more.

But this one should probably be plussed up by a bit more.