Character Options
Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, p. 7
The main figures in any D&D campaign are the characters created by the players. The heroics, folly, righteousness, and potential villainy of your characters are at the heart of the story. This chapter provides a variety of new options for them, focusing on additional subclasses for each of the classes in the player’s handbook.
Each class offers a character-defining choice at 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level that unlocks a series of special features, not available to the class as a whole. That choice is called a subclass. Each class has a collective term that describes its subclasses; in the fighter, for instance, the subclasses are called martial archetypes, and in the paladin, they’re sacred oaths. The table below identifies each of the subclasses in this book. In addition, the section for druids presents details on how the Wild Shape feature works, and the warlock receives a collection of new choices for the class’s Eldritch Invocations feature.
Each of the class presentations leads off with advice on how to add depth and detail to your character’s personality. You can use the tables in these sections as a source of inspiration, or roll a die to randomly determine a result if desired.
Following the subclasses, the section called “this is your life” presents a series of tables for adding detail to your character’s backstory.
The chapter concludes with a selection of feats for the races in the player’s handbook, offering ways to delve deeper into a character’s racial identity.
This is Your Life
Note
Note that an automated version of this exists on the This Is Your Life page.
The character creation rules in the player’s handbook provide all the information you need to define your character in preparation for a life of adventuring. What they don’t do is account for all the circumstances that shaped your character during the years between your birth and the start of your career as a member of a class.
What did your character accomplish or experience before deciding to become an adventurer? What were the circumstances of your birth? How large is your family, and what sorts of relationships do you have with your relatives? Which people were the greatest influences on you during your formative years, for better or worse?
To answer these questions and more, you can use the tables and the advice in this section to compose a well-developed backstory for your character-an autobiography of sorts-that you can use to inform how you roleplay the character. Your DM can draw from this material as the campaign proceeds, creating situations and scenarios that build off your previous life experiences.
Ideas, Not Rules
Even though these pages are full of tables and die rolls, they don’t make up a rules system-in fact, the opposite is true. You can use as much or as little of this material as you desire, and you can make decisions in any order you want.
For instance, you might not want these tables to help you decide who your parents and siblings are, because that’s among the information you’ve already come up with. But you can still use other parts, such as the section on life events, to provide added depth and detail.
How and When to Use the Tables
If you’re comfortable with letting the dice decide a certain fact about your character, go ahead and roll. If not, you can take charge and make the decision, choosing from among the possibilities on a table. Of course, you also have the option of disregarding the result of a die roll if it conflicts with another result. Likewise, if the text instructs you to roll on a table, that’s not meant to be taken literally. You can always make your own choice.
Although these tables are meant to augment the step-by-step character creation process in the player’s handbook, they don’t occupy a specific place in that process. You can use some of them early on-for instance, it’s possible to determine your parents and other family members immediately after deciding your character’s race-but you could also wait until later in the process. You might prefer to establish more facts about your character’s game identity-such as your class, ability scores, and alignment-before supplementing that information with what’s offered here.
Section by Section
This material is divided into four sections, each addressing a different aspect of your character’s backstory.
Origins
To find out who and where you came from, use the “Origins” section. When you’re done, you will have a summary of facts about your parents, your siblings, and the circumstances under which you grew up.
Personal Decisions
After you have selected your character’s background and class, use the appropriate tables to determine how you came to make those choices.
Life Events
Your character’s existence until now, no matter how brief or uneventful, has been marked by one or more life events-memorable happenings that have had an effect on who you are today.
Supplemental Tables
Your life has intersected with the lives of plenty of other people, all the way from your infancy to today. When a result mentions such a person, you can use the supplemental tables to add needed details-such as race, class, or occupation-to that person. Some tables in the other sections direct you to one or more of the supplemental tables, and you can also use them any other time you see fit.
Origins
The usual first step in creating your character’s life story is to determine your early circumstances. Who were your parents? Where were you born? Did you have any siblings? Who raised you? You can address these questions by using the following tables.
Parents
You had parents, of course, even if they didn’t raise you. To determine what you know about these people, use the Parents table. If you want, you can roll separately on the table for your mother and your father. Use the supplemental tables as desired (particularly Class, Occupation, and Alignment) to learn more about your parents.
Nonhuman Parents
If your character is a half-elf, a half-orc, or a tiefling, you can use one of the tables below to determine the race of each of your parents. When you have a result, randomly determine which part of the result refers to your father and which to your mother.
Birthplace
After establishing your parentage, you can determine where you were born by using the Birthplace table. (Modify the result or roll again if you get a result that’s inconsistent with what you know about your parents.) Once you have a result, roll percentile dice. On a roll of 00, a strange event coincided with your birth: the moon briefly turning red, all the milk within a mile spoiling, the water in the area freezing solid in midsummer, all the iron in the home rusting or turning to silver, or some other unusual event of your choice.
Siblings
You might be an only child or one of many children. Your siblings could be cherished friends or hated rivals. Roll on the Number of Siblings table to determine how many brothers or sisters you have. If you are a dwarf or an elf, subtract 2 from your roll. Then, roll on the Birth Order table for each sibling to determine that person’s age relative to yours (older, younger, or born at the same time).
Occupation
For each sibling of suitable age, roll on the Occupation supplemental table to determine what that person does for a living.
Alignment
You can choose your siblings’ alignments or roll on the Alignment supplemental table.
Status
By now, each of your siblings might be alive and well, alive and not so well, in dire straits, or dead. Roll on the Status supplemental table.
Relationship
You can roll on the Relationship supplemental table to determine how your siblings feel about you. They might all have the same attitude toward you, or some might view you differently from how the others do.
Other Details
You can decide any other details you like about each sibling, including gender, personality, and place in the world.
Family and Friends
Who raised you, and what was life like for you when you were growing up? You might have been raised by your parents, by relatives, or in an orphanage. Or you could have spent your childhood on the streets of a crowded city with only your fellow runaways and orphans to keep you company.
Use the Family table to determine who raised you. If you know who your parents are but you get a result that does not mention one or both of them, use the Absent Parent table to determine what happened.
Next, refer to the Family Lifestyle table to determine the general circumstances of your upbringing. (Chapter 5 of the player’s handbook has more information about lifestyles.) The result on that table includes a number that is applied to your roll on the Childhood Home table, which tells you where you spent your early years. Wrap up this section by using the Childhood Memories table, which tells you how you were treated by other youngsters as you were growing up.
Supplemental Tables
You can roll on the Relationship table to determine how your family members or other important figures in your life feel about you. You can also use the Race, Occupation, and Alignment tables to learn more about the family members or guardians who raised you. Developer’s Note: Below you will find a link to a Story Template which uses the tables in this and the sections below to randomly determine your back story. Instructions on how to use the template are given in the template itself.
Personal Decisions
Your character’s life takes a particular course depending on the choices you make for the character’s background and class.
Background
Roll on the appropriate table in this section as soon as you decide your background, or at any later time if you choose. If a background includes a special decision point, such as a folk hero’s defining event or the specialty of a criminal or a sage, it’s best to make that determination before using the pertinent table below.
I became…
Acolyte
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^acolyte)
| dice: d6 | I became an acolyte because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I ran away from home at an early age and found refuge in a temple. |
| 2 | My family gave me to a temple, since they were unable or unwilling to care for me. |
| 3 | I grew up in a household with strong religious convictions. Entering the service of one or more gods seemed natural. |
| 4 | An impassioned sermon struck a chord deep in my soul and moved me to serve the faith. |
| 5 | I followed a childhood friend, a respected acquaintance, or someone I loved into religious service. |
| 6 | After encountering a true servant of the gods, I was so inspired that I immediately entered the service of a religious group. |
| ^acolyte |
Charlatan
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^charlatan)
| dice: d6 | I became a charlatan because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was left to my own devices, and my knack for manipulating others helped me survive. |
| 2 | I learned early on that people are gullible and easy to exploit. |
| 3 | I often got in trouble, but I managed to talk my way out of it every time. |
| 4 | I took up with a confidence artist, from whom I learned my craft. |
| 5 | After a charlatan fleeced my family, I decided to learn the trade so I would never be fooled by such deception again. |
| 6 | I was poor or I feared becoming poor, so I learned the tricks I needed to keep myself out of poverty. |
| ^charlatan |
Criminal
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^criminal)
| dice: d6 | I became a criminal because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I resented authority in my younger days and saw a life of crime as the best way to fight against tyranny and oppression. |
| 2 | Necessity forced me to take up the life, since it was the only way I could survive. |
| 3 | I fell in with a gang of reprobates and ne’er-do-wells, and I learned my specialty from them. |
| 4 | A parent or relative taught me my criminal specialty to prepare me for the family business. |
| 5 | I left home and found a place in a thieves’ guild or some other criminal organization. |
| 6 | I was always bored, so I turned to crime to pass the time and discovered I was quite good at it. |
| ^criminal |
Entertainer
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^entertainer)
| dice: d6 | I became an entertainer because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | Members of my family made ends meet by performing, so it was fitting for me to follow their example. |
| 2 | I always had a keen insight into other people, enough so that I could make them laugh or cry with my stories or songs. |
| 3 | I ran away from home to follow a minstrel troupe. |
| 4 | I saw a bard perform once, and I knew from that moment on what I was born to do. |
| 5 | I earned coin by performing on street corners and eventually made a name for myself. |
| 6 | A traveling entertainer took me in and taught me the trade. |
| ^entertainer |
Folk Hero
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^folk-hero)
| dice: d6 | I became a folk hero because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I learned what was right and wrong from my family. |
| 2 | I was always enamored by tales of heroes and wished I could be something more than ordinary. |
| 3 | I hated my mundane life, so when it was time for someone to step up and do the right thing, I took my chance. |
| 4 | A parent or one of my relatives was an adventurer, and I was inspired by that person’s courage. |
| 5 | A mad old hermit spoke a prophecy when I was born, saying that I would accomplish great things. |
| 6 | I have always stood up for those who are weaker than I am. |
| ^folk-hero |
Guild Artisan
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^guild-artisan)
| dice: d6 | I became a guild artisan because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was apprenticed to a master who taught me the guild’s business. |
| 2 | I helped a guild artisan keep a secret or complete a task, and in return I was taken on as an apprentice. |
| 3 | One of my family members who belonged to the guild made a place for me. |
| 4 | I was always good with my hands, so I took the opportunity to learn a trade. |
| 5 | I wanted to get away from my home situation and start a new life. |
| 6 | I learned the essentials of my craft from a mentor but had to join the guild to finish my training. |
| ^guild-artisan |
Hermit
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^hermit)
| dice: d6 | I became a hermit because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | My enemies ruined my reputation, and I fled to the wilds to avoid further disparagement. |
| 2 | I am comfortable with being isolated, as I seek inner peace. |
| 3 | I never liked the people I called my friends, so it was easy for me to strike out on my own. |
| 4 | I felt compelled to forsake my past, but did so with great reluctance, and sometimes I regret making that decision. |
| 5 | I lost everything-my home, my family, my friends. Going it alone was all I could do. |
| 6 | Society’s decadence disgusted me, so I decided to leave it behind. |
| ^hermit |
Noble
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^noble)
| dice: d6 | I became a noble because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I come from an old and storied family, and it fell to me to preserve the family name. |
| 2 | My family has been disgraced, and I intend to clear our name. |
| 3 | My family recently came by its title, and that elevation thrust us into a new and strange world. |
| 4 | My family has a title, but none of my ancestors have distinguished themselves since we gained it. |
| 5 | My family is filled with remarkable people. I hope to live up to their example. |
| 6 | I hope to increase my family’s power and influence. |
| ^noble |
Outlander
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^outlander)
| dice: d6 | I became an outlander because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I spent a lot of time in the wilderness as a youngster, and I came to love that way of life. |
| 2 | From a young age, I couldn’t abide the stink of the cities and preferred to spend my time in nature. |
| 3 | I came to understand the darkness that lurks in the wilds, and I vowed to combat it. |
| 4 | My people lived on the edges of civilization, and I learned the methods of survival from my family. |
| 5 | After a tragedy I retreated to the wilderness, leaving my old life behind. |
| 6 | My family moved away from civilization, and I learned to adapt to my new environment. |
| ^outlander |
Sage
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^sage)
| dice: d6 | I became a sage because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was naturally curious, so I packed up and went to a university to learn more about the world. |
| 2 | My mentor’s teachings opened my mind to new possibilities in that field of study. |
| 3 | I was always an avid reader, and I learned much about my favorite topic on my own. |
| 4 | I discovered an old library and pored over the texts I found there. That experience awakened a hunger for more knowledge. |
| 5 | I impressed a wizard who told me I was squandering my talents and should seek out an education to take advantage of my gifts. |
| 6 | One of my parents or a relative gave me a basic education that whetted my appetite, and I left home to build on what I had learned. |
| ^sage |
Sailor
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^sailor)
| dice: d6 | I became a sailor because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was press-ganged by pirates and forced to serve on their ship until I finally escaped. |
| 2 | I wanted to see the world, so I signed on as a deck-hand for a merchant ship. |
| 3 | One of my relatives was a sailor who took me to sea. |
| 4 | I needed to escape my community quickly, so I stowed away on a ship. When the crew found me, I was forced to work for my passage. |
| 5 | Reavers attacked my community, so I found refuge on a ship until I could seek vengeance. |
| 6 | I had few prospects where I was living, so I left to find my fortune elsewhere. |
| ^sailor |
Soldier
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^soldier)
| dice: d6 | I became a soldier because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I joined the militia to help protect my community from monsters. |
| 2 | A relative of mine was a soldier, and I wanted to carry on the family tradition. |
| 3 | The local lord forced me to enlist in the army. |
| 4 | War ravaged my homeland while I was growing up. Fighting was the only life I ever knew. |
| 5 | I wanted fame and fortune, so I joined a mercenary company, selling my sword to the highest bidder. |
| 6 | Invaders attacked my homeland. It was my duty to take up arms in defense of my people. |
| ^soldier |
Urchin
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^urchin)
| dice: d6 | I became an urchin because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wanderlust caused me to leave my family to see the world. I look after myself. |
| 2 | I ran away from a bad situation at home and made my own way in the world. |
| 3 | Monsters wiped out my village, and I was the sole survivor. I had to find a way to survive. |
| 4 | A notorious thief looked after me and other orphans, and we spied and stole to earn our keep. |
| 5 | One day I woke up on the streets, alone and hungry, with no memory of my early childhood. |
| 6 | My parents died, leaving no one to look after me. I raised myself. |
| ^urchin |
Class Training
If you haven’t chosen your class yet, do so now, keeping in mind your background and all the other details you have established so far. Once you’ve made your selection, roll a d6 and find the number you rolled on the appropriate table in this section, which describes how you came to be a member of that class.
The class sections earlier in this chapter have further story suggestions, which you can use in concert with the material here.
I became…
Barbarian
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^barbarian)
| dice: d6 | I became a barbarian because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | My devotion to my people lifted me in battle, making me powerful and dangerous. |
| 2 | The spirits of my ancestors called on me to carry out a great task. |
| 3 | I lost control in battle one day, and it was as if something else was manipulating my body, forcing it to kill every foe I could reach. |
| 4 | I went on a spiritual journey to find myself and instead found a spirit animal to guide, protect, and inspire me. |
| 5 | I was struck by lightning and lived. Afterward, I found a new strength within me that let me push beyond my limitations. |
| 6 | My anger needed to be channeled into battle, or I risked becoming an indiscriminate killer. |
| ^barbarian |
Bard
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^bard)
| dice: d6 | I became a bard because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I awakened my latent bardic abilities through trial and error. |
| 2 | I was a gifted performer and attracted the attention of a master bard who schooled me in the old techniques. |
| 3 | I joined a loose society of scholars and orators to learn new techniques of performance and magic. |
| 4 | I felt a calling to recount the deeds of champions and heroes, to bring them alive in song and story. |
| 5 | I joined one of the great colleges to learn old lore, the secrets of magic, and the art of performance. |
| 6 | I picked up a musical instrument one day and instantly discovered that I could play it. |
| ^bard |
Cleric
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^cleric)
| dice: d6 | I became a cleric because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | A supernatural being in service to the gods called me to become a divine agent in the world. |
| 2 | I saw the injustice and horror in the world and felt moved to take a stand against them. |
| 3 | My god gave me an unmistakable sign. I dropped everything to serve the divine. |
| 4 | Although I was always devout, it wasn’t until I completed a pilgrimage that I knew my true calling. |
| 5 | I used to serve in my religion’s bureaucracy but found I needed to work in the world, to bring the message of my faith to the darkest corners of the land. |
| 6 | I realize that my god works through me, and I do as commanded, even though I don’t know why I was chosen to serve. |
| ^cleric |
Druid
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^druid)
| dice: d6 | I became a druid because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I saw too much devastation in the wild places, too much of nature’s splendor ruined by the despoilers. I joined a circle of druids to fight back against the enemies of nature. |
| 2 | I found a place among a group of druids after I fled a catastrophe. |
| 3 | I have always had an affinity for animals, so I explored my talent to see how I could best use it. |
| 4 | I befriended a druid and was moved by druidic teachings. I decided to follow my friend’s guidance and give something back to the world. |
| 5 | While I was growing up, I saw spirits all around me-entities no one else could perceive. I sought out the druids to help me understand the visions and communicate with these beings. |
| 6 | I have always felt disgust for creatures of unnatural origin. For this reason, I immersed myself in the study of the druidic mysteries and became a champion of the natural order. |
| ^druid |
Fighter
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^fighter)
| dice: d6 | I became a fighter because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I wanted to hone my combat skills, and so I joined a war college. |
| 2 | I squired for a knight who taught me how to fight, care for a steed, and conduct myself with honor. I decided to take up that path for myself. |
| 3 | Horrible monsters descended on my community, killing someone I loved. I took up arms to destroy those creatures and others of a similar nature. |
| 4 | I joined the army and learned how to fight as part of a group. |
| 5 | I grew up fighting, and I refined my talents by defending myself against people who crossed me. |
| 6 | I could always pick up just about any weapon and know how to use it effectively. |
| ^fighter |
Monk
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^monk)
| dice: d6 | I became a monk because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I was chosen to study at a secluded monastery. There, I was taught the fundamental techniques required to eventually master a tradition. |
| 2 | I sought instruction to gain a deeper understanding of existence and my place in the world. |
| 3 | I stumbled into a portal to the Shadowfell and took refuge in a strange monastery, where I learned how to defend myself against the forces of darkness. |
| 4 | I was overwhelmed with grief after losing someone close to me, and I sought the advice of philosophers to help me cope with my loss. |
| 5 | I could feel that a special sort of power lay within me, so I sought out those who could help me call it forth and master it. |
| 6 | I was wild and undisciplined as a youngster, but then I realized the error of my ways. I applied to a monastery and became a monk as a way to live a life of discipline. |
| ^monk |
Paladin
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^paladin)
| dice: d6 | I became a paladin because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | A fantastical being appeared before me and called on me to undertake a holy quest. |
| 2 | One of my ancestors left a holy quest unfulfilled, so I intend to finish that work. |
| 3 | The world is a dark and terrible place. I decided to serve as a beacon of light shining out against the gathering shadows. |
| 4 | I served as a paladin’s squire, learning all I needed to swear my own sacred oath. |
| 5 | Evil must be opposed on all fronts. I feel compelled to seek out wickedness and purge it from the world. |
| 6 | Becoming a paladin was a natural consequence of my unwavering faith. In taking my vows, I became the holy sword of my religion. |
| ^paladin |
Ranger
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^ranger)
| dice: d6 | I became a ranger because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I found purpose while I honed my hunting skills by bringing down dangerous animals at the edge of civilization. |
| 2 | I always had a way with animals, able to calm them with a soothing word and a touch. |
| 3 | I suffer from terrible wanderlust, so being a ranger gave me a reason not to remain in one place for too long. |
| 4 | I have seen what happens when the monsters come out from the dark. I took it upon myself to become the first line of defense against the evils that lie beyond civilization’s borders. |
| 5 | I met a grizzled ranger who taught me woodcraft and the secrets of the wild lands. |
| 6 | I served in an army, learning the precepts of my profession while blazing trails and scouting enemy encampments. |
| ^ranger |
Rogue
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^rogue)
| dice: d6 | I became a rogue because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ve always been nimble and quick of wit, so I decided to use those talents to help me make my way in the world. |
| 2 | An assassin or a thief wronged me, so I focused my training on mastering the skills of my enemy to better combat foes of that sort. |
| 3 | An experienced rogue saw something in me and taught me several useful tricks. |
| 4 | I decided to turn my natural lucky streak into the basis of a career, though I still realize that improving my skills is essential. |
| 5 | I took up with a group of ruffians who showed me how to get what I want through sneakiness rather than direct confrontation. |
| 6 | I’m a sucker for a shiny bauble or a sack of coins, as long as I can get my hands on it without risking life and limb. |
| ^rogue |
Sorcerer
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^sorcerer)
| dice: d6 | I became a sorcerer because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | When I was born, all the water in the house froze solid, the milk spoiled, or all the iron turned to copper. My family is convinced that this event was a harbinger of stranger things to come for me. |
| 2 | I suffered a terrible emotional or physical strain, which brought forth my latent magical power. I have fought to control it ever since. |
| 3 | My immediate family never spoke of my ancestors, and when I asked, they would change the subject. It wasn’t until I started displaying strange talents that the full truth of my heritage came out. |
| 4 | When a monster threatened one of my friends, I became filled with anxiety. I lashed out instinctively and blasted the wretched thing with a force that came from within me. |
| 5 | Sensing something special in me, a stranger taught me how to control my gift. |
| 6 | After I escaped from a magical conflagration, I realized that though I was unharmed, I was not unchanged. I began to exhibit unusual abilities that I am just beginning to understand. |
| ^sorcerer |
Warlock
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^warlock)
| dice: d6 | I became a warlock because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | While wandering around in a forbidden place, I encountered an otherworldly being that offered to enter into a pact with me. |
| 2 | I was examining a strange tome I found in an abandoned library when the entity that would become my patron suddenly appeared before me. |
| 3 | I stumbled into the clutches of my patron after I accidentally stepped through a magical doorway. |
| 4 | When I was faced with a terrible crisis, I prayed to any being who would listen, and the creature that answered became my patron. |
| 5 | My future patron visited me in my dreams and offered great power in exchange for my service. |
| 6 | One of my ancestors had a pact with my patron, so that entity was determined to bind me to the same agreement. |
| ^warlock |
Wizard
dice: [](2-character-options.md#^wizard)
| dice: d6 | I became a wizard because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | An old wizard chose me from among several candidates to serve an apprenticeship. |
| 2 | When I became lost in a forest, a hedge wizard found me, took me in, and taught me the rudiments of magic. |
| 3 | I grew up listening to tales of great wizards and knew I wanted to follow their path. I strove to be accepted at an academy of magic and succeeded. |
| 4 | One of my relatives was an accomplished wizard who decided I was smart enough to learn the craft. |
| 5 | While exploring an old tomb, library, or temple, I found a spellbook. I was immediately driven to learn all I could about becoming a wizard. |
| 6 | I was a prodigy who demonstrated mastery of the arcane arts at an early age. When I became old enough to set out on my own, I did so to learn more magic and expand my power. |
| ^wizard |
Life Events
No matter how long you’ve been alive, you have experienced at least one signature event that has markedly influenced your character. Life events include wondrous happenings and tragedies, conflicts and successes, and encounters with the unusual. They can help to explain why your character became an adventurer, and some might still affect your life even after they are long over.
The older a character is, the greater the chance for multiple life events, as shown on the Life Events by Age table. If you have already chosen your character’s starting age, see the entry in the Life Events column that corresponds to how old you are. Otherwise, you can roll dice to determine your current age and number of life events randomly.
After you know the number of life events your character has experienced, roll once on the Life Events table for each of them. Many of the results on that table direct you to one of the secondary tables that follow. Once you have determined all of your character’s life events, you can arrange them in any chronological order you see fit.
Secondary Tables
These tables add detail to many of the results on the Life Events table. The tables are in alphabetical order.
Supplemental Tables
The supplemental tables below give you a way to randomly determine characteristics and other facts about individuals who are part of your character’s life. Use these tables when directed to do so by another table, or when you simply want to come up with a piece of information quickly. The tables are in alphabetical order.
What’s Next?
When you’re finished using these tables, you’ll have a collection of facts and notes that-at a minimum-encapsulate what your character has been doing in the world up till now. Sometimes that might be all the information you want, but you don’t have to stop there.
By using your creativity to stitch all these bits together into a continuous narrative, you can create a full-fledged autobiography for your character in as little as a few sentences-an excellent example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Did you get a couple of results on the tables that don’t outright contradict each other but also don’t seem to fit together smoothly? If so, now is your chance to explain what happened to you. For instance, let’s say you were born in a castle, but your childhood home was in the wilderness. It could be that your parents traveled from their forest home to seek help from a midwife at the castle when your mother was close to giving birth. Or your parents might have been members of the castle’s staff before you were born, but they were released from service soon after you came into the world.
In addition to deepening your own roleplaying experience, your character’s history presents your DM with opportunities to weave those elements into the story of the campaign. Any way you look at it, adding definition to your character’s pre-adventuring life is time well spent.
Racial Feats
Leveling up in a class is the main way a character evolves during a campaign. Some DMs also allow the use of feats to customize a character. Feats are an optional rule in chapter 6, “Customization Options,” of the player’s handbook. The DM decides whether they’re used and may also decide that some feats are available in a campaign and others aren’t.
This section introduces a collection of special feats that allow you to explore your character’s race further. These feats are each associated with a race from the Player’s Handbook, as summarized in the Racial Feats table. A racial feat represents either a deepening connection to your race’s culture or a physical transformation that brings you closer to an aspect of your race’s lineage.
The cause of a particular transformation is up to you and your DM. A transformational feat can symbolize a latent quality that has emerged as you age, or a transformation might be the result of an event in the campaign, such as exposure to powerful magic or visiting a place of ancient significance to your race. Transformations are a fundamental motif of fantasy literature and folklore. Figuring out why your character has changed can be a rich addition to your campaign’s story.
