Baldur’s Gate Noble
Source: Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus p. 204, Player’s Handbook p. 135
- Skill Proficiencies. History, Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies. One type of gaming set
- Languages. One of your choice
- Equipment. A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp
The patriars of Baldur’s Gate live in the Upper City, where they host grand galas and flaunt cosmopolitan fashions, but are walled off from the poverty and squalor of the less fortunate districts and their neighborhoods. Although they might visit prosperous Bloomridge to try a fashionable restaurant or boutique, or watch a spectacle at the Oasis Theater, the patriars have little reason to venture into the dirtier, more dangerous parts of the city. If they do, it is generally as thrill-seeking tourists or enclosed by a retinue of armed guards, not as friends or neighbors. As a result, many patriars are at once acutely attuned to the nuances of royal courts half a continent away and shockingly ignorant of what life is like for the poor outside their own doorsteps.
This combination of worldly savvy and local blindness characterizes almost all the nobility of Baldur’s Gate. As a result, for those who wish to play patriars, the Patriar feature below replaces the Position and Privilege feature of the noble background. Those who wish to use the background’s standard feature might have gained their standing in Baldur’s Gate from business rather than inheritance.
Baldur’s Gate Feature: Patriar
Note
The effects of a Baldur’s Gate feature can be used only while the character is in Baldur’s Gate—though, at the DM’s discretion, they might have applicable effects in situations similar to those in Baldur’s Gate.
As a member of one of the elite families of Baldur’s Gate, you may pass through city gates without paying tolls, mingle among the Gate’s nobility unquestioned, and impress those on the lookout for wealthy patrons. You are welcome in the Upper City and may stay there after dark without being harassed or evicted. Your word is accepted over others’ without question, and any corruption among guards or government officials tends to work in your favor, not against you—at least until you make some effort to expose it.
Suggested Characteristics
Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds—responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family’s care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.
dice: [](baldurs-gate-noble-bgdia.md#^personality-trait)
| dice: d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world. |
| 2 | The common folk love me for my kindness and generosity. |
| 3 | No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses. |
| 4 | I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions. |
| 5 | I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations. |
| 6 | Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. |
| 7 | My favor, once lost, is lost forever. |
| 8 | If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields. |
| ^personality-trait |
dice: [](baldurs-gate-noble-bgdia.md#^ideal)
| dice: d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good) |
| 2 | Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without coddling from my family. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil) |
| 5 | Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any) |
| 6 | Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me. (Good) |
| ^ideal |
dice: [](baldurs-gate-noble-bgdia.md#^bond)
| dice: d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family. |
| 2 | My house’s alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs. |
| 3 | Nothing is more important than the other members of my family. |
| 4 | I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises. |
| 5 | My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering. |
| 6 | The common folk must see me as a hero of the people. |
| ^bond |
dice: [](baldurs-gate-noble-bgdia.md#^flaw)
| dice: d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me. |
| 2 | I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever. |
| 3 | I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I’m quick to anger. |
| 4 | I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures. |
| 5 | In fact, the world does revolve around me. |
| 6 | By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family. |
| ^flaw |