In Dungeons & Dragons, choosing a background provides a foundation for your character's history and personal story. It represents what your character was doing before they became an adventurer and can include elements like their occupation, upbringing, or significant life events.

A character's background provides additional skills, tools, and role-playing hooks. It can also grant additional languages and equipment. Here's a breakdown of what a background might provide:

Skill Proficiencies: Most backgrounds provide proficiency in two skills. These are abilities your character has learned through their life experiences. For example, a character with the "Sage" background might have proficiency in the Arcana and History skills, reflecting their studies and knowledge.

Tool Proficiencies: Some backgrounds also provide proficiency with certain tools. For example, a character with a "Criminal" background might have proficiency with thieves' tools.

Equipment: Backgrounds often provide a set of equipment that your character starts with. This could include tools related to your background, a certain amount of money, or other items.

Special Features: Many backgrounds provide a special feature that can be used in the game. For example, the "Soldier" background provides a feature called "Military Rank," which can influence how other soldiers and officers respond to the character.

Suggested Characteristics: Each background provides suggestions for your character's personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. These can help you flesh out your character's personality and motivations.

When choosing a background, consider how it fits with your character's class and race, as well as the backstory and personality you have in mind for them. The background should add depth to your character and provide interesting hooks for role-playing and character development.

Aetherologist

Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom score of 13 or higher.

Aetherologist are scholars in the field of magic, otherwise known as aether. It is the essence of existence and the very lifeblood of our star, so it is a demanding task, one of constant diligence to safeguard a delicate ecosystem.

Adventurers' Guild Veteran

The Adventurers' Guild is a supranational organization employing able-bodied people from all walks of life, acting as an intermediary for the common folk by receiving their requests for aid. Adventurers throughout the realm can be found working not just as hired swords, but as tradesmen and gatherers as well.

Choose a city-state from below to determine the extent of your background feature.

Chocobo Handler

Known for their masks modelled after the ever-faithful chocobo, Chocobo Handler can be found across Eorzea where some offer the use of a Chocobo Porter service. Despite what some may think about the business practice, it's the handler's passion for breeding, training, and caring for their feathered friends that takes priority above all.

Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, and choose one from Nature or Survival.

Languages: One common language of your choice, and you can imitate chocobo sounds

Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (land)

Equipment: A chocobo mask, a set of yellow work clothes, a head of gysahl greens, 50ft of hempen rope, a riding saddle, and a pouch containing 1,000 Gil

Gleaner

Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom score of 13 or higher.

As a Gleaner you are a graduate of the Studium, an alumnus of the most prestigious institution of learning across the Three Great Continents. But before you can author the world's next groundbreaking thesis, you help a scholarch pen theirs - by travelling that world, acquiring all manner of trinkets and miscellany for your masters of academia.

Skill Proficiencies: Special. Choose one from each table below

Languages: One of your choice.

Tool Proficiencies: A musical instrument, and navigators' tools

Equipment: A set of dark green travellers' clothes, a summary map of Eorzea and the Far East, a book on the subject of your major, a pair of leather boots, a lantern and lantern crystal, and a belt pouch containing 1,000 Gil

Hearer

Prerequisite: Wisdom or Charisma score of 13 or higher.

Hearer You realized at a young age that you possessed a preternatural awareness and could sense the intent of the elementals - guardian spirits of the Twelveswood. This gift was recognized by conjurers of Stillglade Fane, who nurtured and encouraged it as you grew in hopes that, someday, you would become a leader in Gridanian society.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Nature

Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism Kit

Languages: Elezen & Padjali

Equipment: A set of purple robes and matching hat, a trinket representing your connection to nature, an herbalism kit, and a belt pouch containing 1,000 Gil

Imperial Spy

Prerequisite: Dexterity or Intelligence score of 13 or higher.

Imperial Spy You and countless others are the eyes and ears of Garlemald across the Three Great Continents. With false identity as your cloak and wits as your dagger, you stand ready to accept anything the Frumentarium demands of you. Subversion. Espionage. Vigilance - For the glory of Garlemald.

Skill Proficiencies: Perception, and choose one from Deception, Investigation, or Stealth

Languages: Garlean

Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit or forgery kit, and vehicles (magitek)

Equipment: A set of commoners’ clothes or fine clothes, a disguise kit or forgery kit, a hooded cloak, a dagger, a magitek transceiver, and a pouch containing 1,000 Gil

Magitek Engineer

Prerequisite: Intelligence score of 13 or higher.

Magitek Engineer The Magitek Academy serves as both a research facility and a school for engineers. You are one of the alumni, whereby only a handful of outstanding applicants are admitted into, or even graduate from, the institution's program. Research. Knowledge. Progress - For the glory of Garlemald.

Skill Proficiencies: Special. Investigation. If you are already proficient, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.

Languages: Garlean

Tool Proficiencies: Engineers’ kit and vehicles (magitek)

Equipment: A set of imperial (red) or ironworks (blue) work clothes, an engineers’ kit, a pair of welding goggles, a container of ceruleum, and a pouch containing 500 Gil

Onishi

Prerequisite: Lawful alignment only

Artisans of the Far East - the Onishishu - pledge themselves to no nation, and in many respects, more closely resemble a monastic order than a crafting guild. Just as monks devote themselves to Rhalgr, the Onishi employ their skills in service to the people. In return, they ask but meagre payment - a crate of foodstuffs; a token offering of coins etc.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Insight

Language: Eastern

Tool Proficiencies: Two types of artisans' tools

Equipment: A set of Eastern work clothes, two types of artisans' tools that you're proficient with, an Onishishu inro, an Onishishu garb, and a pouch containing 500 Gil

Revolutionary

The tales of uprisings are many, and though malms apart, these suppressed souls find kinship. In their heavy chains, they keep their heads low, content to just endure and await the spark of hope that sets them free. These sparks are those who soldier on, ever forging ahead - the revolutionaries.

Skill Proficiencies: Special. Persuasion, and choose one from the Tales from the Storm table below

Language: A common language spoken in your homeland

Tool Proficiencies: A set of artisans' tools and disguise kit

Equipment: Special. A set of travellers' clothes, a simple melee weapon, a hooded cloak, a set of tools you're proficient with, a belt pouch containing 1,000 gil, and choose one from the Sentimental Item table below

Sundered

Dreams of death and destruction have plagued your psyche, severe enough that it has affected you throughout life. But you have cause to believe that there may be more to your condition than what it seems. You must seek answers.

Proficiencies and Languages: Special. Whenever you attempt a skill, use a tool, or try to comprehend a language you are not already proficient with, you gain that proficiency on a natural 20 roll. You must finish a long rest before another proficiency is gained this way. Once you have five proficiencies, you no longer gain more.

Equipment: a set of common clothes, a shard of pure crystal, a journal, and a belt pouch containing 500 Gil

XIITH Legion Experiment

Prerequisite: Strength or Constitution score of 13 or higher.

Under its merciless Legatus, the XIIth legion of Garlemald values power above all else, having little use for those who will not "hunt" their own prey. To that end, Castrum Abania was constructed in the peaks above Ala Mhigo, conducting wicked experiments to merge man and magitek in a forbidden union. You are one of these experiments.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation

Languages: Garlean, and one of your choice

Tool Proficiencies: One of your choice

Equipment: A set of prisoners' clothes, a shiv, a memento of your life prior to becoming an experiment, and a set of identification tags stating 'Number (your choice)'