In D&D 5e, Backgrounds grant a modest assortment of equipment and a pocketful of starting cash. For many campaigns, this is fine and appropriate. You’re playing wanderers, sellswords, not to say murderhoboes, and a broader base of social and material assets will at best be in a town halfway across the continent. In that case, expanding background assets would be a complete waste, and this post isn’t for you. On the other hand, maybe your campaign involves urban investigation, intrigue, or social advancement. Maybe you want to emphasize backgrounds as key pieces of character identity. You grew up in the city that is the main game location, or you have a job that brings you into contact with useful people. You have a permanent address and Ikea furniture. I’m not trying to describe every VIMLE couch and HEMNES bookshelf (you can go play Skyrim for that), but I want to give out things that express character, offer new solutions to problems, or suggest stories to explore.

New Assets

The new items, creatures, and so forth offered here are in addition to what you receive from your Background. There is no significant effort to make them equal in monetary value, and your character should not be able to liquidate these possessions and take off for an itinerant life. Why they can’t do this is left as an exercise to the reader, but if that’s what you want to do, this add-on isn’t right for you in the first place.

New possessions are presented as packages that include debts and obligations, as more ways to hook characters into the settlement’s social structure. Debts are given as per-month commitments, and end when the DM feels you’ve paid enough (probably not less than 6 months in any case).

Contacts

I’m also introducing named Contacts as people who matter to your character. Your relationships with them might be positive, negative, or ambiguous. Multiple backgrounds connect to the same characters, as a way to strengthen their sense of reality in the setting. I’ve always liked how Apocalypse World and Blades in the Dark playbooks offer named characters, and start to sketch out ways that two PCs might have utterly different outlooks on them.

Some relationships have their starting state determined by a die roll. In some cases, it may make more sense to use the character’s Cha mod -1 to determine the nature of the relationship, or to decide on a result based on how the rest of the story has come together.

• 1-2: Hostile or Distrusting
• 3-4: Neutral or Complicated
• 5-6: Friendly or Obsequious

Acolyte

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a cell in a local abbey; Relationship (d6) with the High Priestess Yathia Imbrus; Distrusting Relationship with Master of Novices, Wintan the Scribe; access to the abbey’s library
(b) two-room dwelling on the third floor of a dilapidated tenement building; access to a secret shrine in the basement; three lay worshipers, who have an Obsequious Relationship toward you; a harmless pet snake
(c) minor religious relic (a trinket or a common, non-consumable magic item); a hut outside the city walls; Hostile Relationship with High Priestess Yathia Imbrus; a donkey with saddle, bit, and bridle
(d) a bare and chilly room in the Earl of Hollisham’s country estate; Relationship (d6) with the High Priest Yathia Imbrus; Neutral Relationship with the Earl of Hollisham; the heir apparent, Marten Hollisham, is Obsequious toward you; two oxen and a cart

Charlatan/Criminal

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a room in an unused warehouse, where you are squatting; Relationship (d6) with Guildmaster Nerin Reth; wand with 8 charges of prestidigitation, recharges 1d4 charges each day at dawn
(b) a cell in a local abbey or monastery; Relationship (d6) with High Priestess Yathia Imbrus; Friendly Relationship with Master of Novices, Wintan the Scribe
(c) a belowstairs room in a country estate, and a job as a footman; you are Obsequious toward the estate’s heir apparent, Marten Hollisham, who is Friendly toward you; horse and high-quality carriage; 50-gp-per-month bribes to Master Thief-taker Hael Gorret
(d) a two-room “apartment” in the basement of a ruined house, connected to the Thieves’ Guild by a secret passage; Relationship (d6) with Guildmaster Nerin Reth; Complicated Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss, who you pay 50 gp per month for the right to work in her Ward
(e) tiny room that you share with Rollo Benton above a gambling den; Relationship (d6) with Rollo Benton; smuggling skiff that requires a two-person crew

Entertainer

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a room above the taproom of The Green Great Dragon Inn; the inn owner Eiris Quickly is Obsequious toward you; obligation to perform three shows per week
(b) a room in a shabby house you share with six other Entertainers; Hostile Relationship with harpist Pol Kesson; Relationship (d6) with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; large collection of used instruments and sheet music
(c) a room in the attic over a mask-maker’s shop; Friendly Relationship with mask-maker Anita Caplan; large collection of new and outlandish masks

Folk Hero

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a room in the attic over a mask-maker’s shop; Friendly Relationship with mask-maker Anita Caplan; large collection of new and outlandish masks
(b) a sleeping space in the common room of The Green Great Dragon Inn; the inn owner Eiris Quickly is Neutral toward you; Relationship (d6) with Master Thief-taker Hael Gorret; a pony with saddle, bit, and bridle
(c) quarters in the town guard barracks; Relationship (d6) with Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan; Complicated Relationship with criminal Rollo Benton; access to the town guard’s stores of weapons and armor; a spirited, one-eared dog

Guild Artisan

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a three-story shop with living quarters, which you share with your business partner Elsabet the Red; Relationship (d6) with Elsabet the Red; one spare bedroom; cart and two mules
(b) cramped sleeping space on the floor of Master Crafter Roger Graeling’s shop; Neutral Relationship with Roger Graeling; Friendly Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; 25-gp-per-month debts to your trade guild
(c) a luxurious room in the Earl of Hollisham’s country estate; Relationship (d6) with Marten Hollisham; Complicated Relationship with your rival Elsabet the Red; a carriage and a four-horse team; infrequent demands on your time that you can’t turn down

Hermit

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a hut outside the city walls; Relationship (d6) with the sage Kingsley Winters; Friendly Relationship with your nephew; one non-consumable Common magic item
(b) a secret grove where you can live off the land and sleep in safety; Complicated Relationship with your brother; Friendly Relationship with your nephew; a donkey with saddle, bit, and bridle
(c) a tumbledown tower in the Earl of Hollisham’s country estate; Neutral Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Relationship (d6) with Master Wizard Danika Aurane; a mangy cat

Noble

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a large, richly-appointed house in the city, with several spare rooms; Relationship (d6) with the Earl of Hollisham; Complicated Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Relationship (d6) with two other NPCs; a carriage and four-horse team; a sailboat that can hold up to eight people; 500-gp-per-month debts to Guildmaster Nerin Reth
(b) a cobwebbed old manor three miles from town; Distrusting Relationship with the Earl of Hollisham; Relationship (d6) with Marten Hollisham; Relationship (d6) with two other NPCs; a warhorse, a riding horse, and a pack mule; 50-gp-per-month debts to the Earl of Hollisham
(c) three rooms on the top floor of Red Rivers, a disreputable wine shop; a Hostile Relationship with your mother; Friendly Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Friendly Relationship with Master Wizard Danika Aurane; Relationship (d6) with two other NPCs; a broken-down nag with saddle, bit, and bridle
(d) a place to sleep by the Earl of Hollisham’s hearth; Friendly Relationship with the Earl of Hollisham; Friendly Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Friendly Relationship with the Countess of Hollisham; Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan is Obsequious toward you; access to the Earl’s horses and armorer; obligation to fight on the Earl’s behalf against any challenger

Outlander

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a hut outside the city walls; Distrusting Relationship with Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan; Neutral Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; a crow that brings you dead spiders
(b) a sleeping space in the common room of The Green Great Dragon Inn; the inn owner Eiris Quickly is Distrusting toward you; Friendly Relationship with the merchant Elsabet the Red; a wolf that follows you everywhere
(c) a secret grove where you can live off the land and sleep in safety; Relationship (d6) with the criminal Rollo Benton; a pony with saddle, bit, and bridle

Sage

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a tumbledown tower in the Earl of Hollisham’s country estate; Neutral Relationship with the Earl of Hollisham; Friendly Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Relationship (d6) with Master Wizard Danika Aurane
(b) a hut in a secret grove, larger on the inside than outside; Relationship (d6) with Kingsley Winters; Relationship (d6) with High Priestess Yathia Imbrus; Complicated Relationship with Master Wizard Danika Aurane; a pony with saddle, bit, and bridle
(c) a large suite in the Green Great Dragon Inn; the inn owner Eiris Quickly is Distrusting toward you; Distrusting Relationship with Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan; Hostile Relationship with High Priestess Yathia Imbrus; a fast carriage and four goats; 50-gp-per-month debts to Master Wizard Danika Aurane

Sailor

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a tiny room that you share with Rollo Benton above a gambling den; Relationship (d6) with Rollo Benton; smuggling skiff that requires a two-person crew
(b) a berth on the Sun Dragon, a carrack that seldom leaves the harbor; Relationship (d6) with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; Friendly Relationship with harpist Pol Kesson; 25-gp-per-month gambling debts
(c) a sleeping space in the common room of the Green Great Dragon Inn; Relationship (d6) with inn owner Eiris Quickly; Hostile Relationship with Rollo Benton; Neutral Relationship with Master Thief-taker Hael Gorret; a cog (the Roarer) and three trusty friends to sail her; 25-gp-per-month payments to keep those friends around

Soldier

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a place to sleep by the Earl of Hollisham’s hearth; Neutra Relationship with the Earl of Hollisham; Neutral Relationship with Marten Hollisham; Complicated Relationship with Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan; access to the Earl’s horses and armorer; obligation to fight on the Earl’s behalf against any challenger
(b) quarters in the town guard barracks; Relationship (d6) with Guard-Captain Johannes Keenan; Hostile Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; access to the town guard’s stores of weapons and armor; riding horse with saddle, bit, and bridle
(c) a sleeping space in the common room of the Green Great Dragon Inn; Relationship (d6) with inn owner Eiris Quickly; Complicated Relationship with Guildmaster Nerin Reth; a sack of loot from your last mission, worth 75 gp; 50-gp-per-month gambling debts to Rollo Benton

Urchin

Choose one of the following packages:

(a) a room in an unused warehouse, where you are squatting; Friendly Relationship with Guildmaster Nerin Reth; Neutral Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss; Hostile Relationship with Marten Hollisham; inexplicably loyal cat
(b) a two-room “apartment” in the basement of a ruined house, connected to the Thieves’ Guild by a secret passage; Relationship (d6) with Guildmaster Nerin Reth; Complicated Relationship with Ward Boss Elenna Foss, who you pay 50 gp per month for the right to work in her Ward; highly intelligent crow
(c) sleeping space by the hearth of Master Thief-taker Hael Gorret; Friendly Relationship with Master Thief-taker Hael Gorret and his wife; Distrusting Relationship with Master Crafter Roger Graeling; small but vicious dog
(d) a room in the attic over a mask-maker’s shop; Friendly Relationship with mask-maker Anita Caplan; two large rats that follow you everywhere; small collection of new and outlandish masks

Design Notes

As I wrote, this became more and more like 13th Age-style Icons, writ small. My hope is that players would quickly figure out story justifications for all of their relationships, creating grist for adventures around the city. I had a lot of my own ideas for what it means that a character likes you in one package and dislikes you in another, or likes you in one background and is lukewarm on you in another, but I’ve tried to leave those unstated for your own group’s use. The actual backgrounds that your group chooses determine a lot about what does definitely exist in the town, and what might not – the sage Kingsley Winters might not be in the town at all if no one collapses that waveform.

In another sense, then, this is a prefabricated Smallville-style relationship-and-location map. It doesn’t offer as many moving parts as a Smallville map, but if you need to pull something together quickly (maybe because you can’t spare a whole evening of gaming for map creation), this is an alternative. As to why to do anything like this at all, Colin explains it better than I could in this Tribality article. Something like this could be an interesting way to present a starting town or village in a fantasy setting. It’s an especially strong opening for, say, a Sigil-based Planescape campaign, or a Sharn-based Eberron campaign.

Finally, if you do wind up using this – or a variant of it – to kickstart your game, that’s not the end of its usefulness. When you need to introduce a new NPC, you can quickly bind them into the story by giving them one of the packages not already taken by a player.

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