By Mark A. Hart King and Country previously introduced nationality as a type of character background. The article listed thirteen different kingdom backgrounds, each based on a common fantasy theme, and provided two examples: Crusader Nation and Arcane Dominion. Here are four more realms for use as backgrounds - the Confederacy of Feuding Houses, the Lost Civilization, the Regime of the Dark Overlord, and the Savage Land.
EN World EN5IDER| King and Country 2
Confederacy of Feuding d4 Personality Trait
Houses 1 I don’t like leaving my back exposed in public places. Until I know someone, I watch them for You understand the value of family and 2 signs of betrayal. bloodline above all else. You grew up in a I try to uncover the secrets of both friends realm splintered into dozens of factions, each 3 and enemies. Such information always one vying for power and wealth. You learned proves invaluable. to watch for hidden daggers and poisoned food at an early age, and your first lessons I’m constantly searching for an angle or 4 taught you how to read people and manipu- leverage over everyone I meet. late them for your family’s benefit. Perhaps d4 Ideal you belonged to a lesser house—one forced Respect. Never forget your place, and to serve a larger and more infamous family. 1 make certain your inferiors remember Or you could have belonged to one of the theirs. (Lawful) great houses, living a life surrounded by both Family. Nothing is more important than luxury and the constant threat of betrayal. 2 family. I would die for them, and I would Regardless, you understand the complexities kill for them. (Any) and allure of courtly intrigue. Knowledge. Never enter a fight or nego- 3 tiation without proper information, and Skill Proficiencies. Deception, Persuasion always have an escape plan. (Neutral) Tool Proficiencies. Forgery kit, poisoner’s kit Vengeance. If you hurt my friends or Equipment. A steel mirror, a signet ring (with 4 family, your parents will wish you were hidden compartment), a set of traveler’s never born. (Evil) clothes, a dagger, and a belt pouch d4 Bond containing 15 gp I escaped an arranged marriage, so now 1 two furious families and one determined Feature. The Black Market betrothed hunt for me. When you enter a town or city, you only need a few conversations with locals to find I’ve lived my life serving others. Now I the best dealers in illegal goods and services. 2 seek the freedom to make my own choic- Whether you want to buy poisons, hire an es. assassin, or purchase classified information, I will return my family to its rightful you can uncover whom to talk to, where to 3 position of power, and punish those who go, and how best to approach them. forced our downfall. I must atone for the crimes I committed in 4 Suggested Characteristics my family’s name. A citizen who lived his life among the feuding d4 Flaw houses may prove slow to trust and difficult Lying comes naturally to me. I struggle to 1 to decipher. When they speak, they seem tell the truth, even when I want to. incapable of giving a straightforward answer. When someone slights me, I always repay Although these folk appreciate the value of al- 2 the favor. lies and friends, they understand the dangers I failed my family in every possible way, of lowering one’s defenses. They guard their 3 and now they seek my destruction. words and actions, even around friends. I don’t mind using my allies as bait, with 4 or without their approval.
EN World EN5IDER | King and Country 2
Lost Civilization d4 Personality Trait Everything I discover in this new world 1 You come from a legendary realm, a place fascinates or horrifies me. filled with magic or technology unknown to I won’t let my ignorance hinder my curi- 2 the outer world. You grew up around alien osity, even if it upsets someone. creatures, lived in a city of glass and steel, No matter how hard I try to fit in, I alien- and used artifacts that most people consider 3 ate everyone around me. impossible. Whether you abandoned your I enjoy collecting trinkets and tokens ev- homeland by choice or necessity, you may 4 erywhere I travel. never find your way back. d4 Ideal Knowledge. I want to learn this world’s Skill Proficiencies. Arcana, History 1 secrets to take back home. (Neutral) Tool Proficiencies. One type of exotic musical Secrets. My people unleashed a horror instrument 2 that consumed my realm; I will not allow Languages. One of your choice my new home to suffer that fate. (Good) Equipment. A walking staff, a necklace or oth- er family heirloom of unusual metal, a set of Destiny. I hear the chorus of alien gods. traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch 3 Their voices tell me who must live and containing 20 gp of coin from your who must die. (Any) homeland Generosity. I possess skills unknown to 4 this world. Honor and duty require me to Feature. Stranger in a Strange Land share these talents. (Good) Your origin grants you celebrity status. You d4 Bond attract the curiosity of commoners, nobles, I will find a way back home, even if it 1 sages, and fools alike, but not all of this atten- takes a lifetime and costs a fortune. tion is benevolent. When you seek audience My people intend to conquer the outer with an individual of note, such as a famous 2 world. I can’t let them succeed. wizard or local noble, you can mention your I must discover who abducted me from place of origin to entice their interest and 3 my realm and why. earn an invitation. Often, they may offer I stole a piece of forbidden technology. It advice and knowledge in trade for stories 4 tells me to learn its secrets before its own- about your homeland. If you need a larger ers find me. favor, your host may demand something d4 Flaw exceptional in return, such as technological My inexperience with local customs and secrets or a mag-ic item from your realm. 1 traditions often gets me into trouble. Suggested Characteristics When stressed, I speak in cryptic meta- 2 A citizen from a Lost Civilization feels mis- phors that no one understands. placed and disconnected from the outer I feel superior to everyone around me, but 3 world. Because they grew up in such a differ- I hold them blameless for their ignorance. ent setting, their distinctiveness goes beyond This land is not my home, and it will strange clothing and a foreign accent. When 4 never be my home, no matter how long I interacting with locals, their unfamiliarity remain stuck here. with customs, traditions, and superstitions often confuses people or angers them.
EN World EN5IDER| King and Country 2
Regime of the d4 Personality Trait
Dark Overlord 1 I hate being the center of attention, and I don’t like to be noticed. Nothing fazes me. Once you’ve survived You grew up in the bloodthirsty regime of the 2 my homeland, everything else seems world’s most tyrannical overlord. Trapped in quaint by comparison. a hellish domain, your family existed without Everywhere I go, I scope out the nearest hope or faith. Although you escaped, by night 3 escape routes. you suffer nightmares of torture and impris- onment. When you awaken, you realize those I abandoned everyone I ever loved. I will 4 weren’t nightmares, but rather memories of never do so again. your suffering. d4 Ideal Survival. If you stop fighting, then you’ve 1 Skill Proficiencies. Stealth, Survival let the villains win. (Neutral) Tool Pro iciencies. One type of artisan’s tools People. I’ll protect my friends, but I don’t 2 Languages. One of your choice believe in causes. (Neutral) Equipment. A quarterstaff, a set of common Rebellion. We must liberate the enslaved clothes, a homemade talisman to ward off 3 and overthrow their masters. (Good) evil, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Strength. Strength and power are every- thing. Without strength, you are helpless Feature. Social Invisibility 4 to protect yourself. With it, you can domi- You perfected the art of avoiding notice and nate those around you first. (Evil) never drawing attention. When someone first d4 Bond meets you, they later struggle to recall your Nothing would ever convince me to aban- appearance, your voice, or anything signif- 1 don my allies. icant about you. Likewise, you blend into a crowd, making it difficult for pursuers to I swore to those who helped me escape I 2 identify you. would return and save them. I swear to destroy the overlord and free 3 Suggested Characteristics my land. Those who escape the Regime of the Dark I have seen how true evil corrupts a king- 4 Overlord often fall into two personality types: dom. I will not allow it to spread here. those strengthened by their experiences, and d4 Flaw those forever scarred by them. Either way, 1 I am both a pessimist and a fatalist. individuals from this regime understand how 2 I do what I’m told out of habit. brutal, dangerous, and unforgiving the world Hurting people to get what I want doesn’t can be. They understand how to endure, 3 bother me. when to hide, and how to fight when cor- When bloodshed begins, my first instinct nered. A survivor of this domain often carries 4 is to hide. a perpetually haunted look in his eyes.
EN World EN5IDER | King and Country 2
Savage Land d4 Personality Trait I do not seek death, but I do not flee its 1 embrace. From the moment of your birth, the Savage I dislike spending time in civilization; it Land wanted you dead. Monsters and beasts 2 weakens me and dampens my instincts. lurked at the village’s edge, eager to devour Possessions and wealth are temptations you like a delicious meat snack. The land 3 luring you to an unmarked grave. conjured up blizzards, floods, drought, and tempests to flatten, drown, and otherwise Life tastes sweetest when something tries 4 destroy you and your folk. For all its murder- to kill me. ous intent, however, you give thanks to your d4 Ideal homeland. As the harshest place in the world, Might. Only the strongest deserve to live. 1 it taught you to survive. It forced you to grow (Evil) strong. You learned the value of helping oth- Wanderlust. I go where I want to, when I 2 ers and enduring together, even if it meant want to. (Chaotic) sharing the last of your food. The Land. The spirit of the land guides 3 my actions, even as it tests me. (Neutral) Skill Proficiencies. Nature, Survival Hunter. When I see my prey, it’s as good Tool Proficiencies. One set of artisan’s tools 4 as dead.(Neutral) Languages. One of your choice d4 Bond Equipment. A knife, a talisman or token of My family—by choice or by blood—are strength from your clan, tinderbox, a set of 1 all I have left. I will not fail them. traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp The thrill of danger is more addictive 2 than any civilized vice. Feature. Hunter’s Instinct My clan banished me, and now I must 3 When you travel in the wilderness, you sense earn my way back. when someone—or something—has caught I collect songs, stories, and folklore to 4 your trail or scent. Although you lack the bring back to my people. details, you instinctively recognize when d4 Flaw your pursuers are within an hour or less of I live every day as if it were my last, and 1 your position and from which direction they to hell with the consequences! approach. My kindness to strangers makes me an 2 easy mark. Suggested Characteristics My entire village perished thanks to my The people of the Savage Land retain a mys- 3 cowardice. tical link to their homeland, even when they 4 I dislike trusting gods or their priests. travel beyond its borders. Infused with a love of danger, they often show bravery and fierce determination no matter the odds. At . the same time, they understand that—sooner Author - Mark A. Hart rather than later—the spirit of the homeland will hunt them and kill them. Editor - James Haeck Artists - N.C. Wyeth Layout - Justin Buell
