D&D Background Spotlight: The Folk Hero
Legends, Expectations, and the Weight of Being Known The Folk Hero background is about ordinary people who did one extraordinary thing—and now have to live with it. Folk Heroes aren’t chosen by destiny or trained by institutions. They are elevated by circumstance, luck, bravery, or desperation. [caption...
The Heir Who Was Never Crowned (D&D character build and background)
A Dhampir Paladin Character Build for D&D 5e [caption id="attachment_32147" align="alignright" width="250"] A vampire as seen in the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Basic Rules. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast][/caption] Some rulers inherit a throne.Some take it by force.And some… die before the crown ever touches...
Creature-Touched Heroes: Beasts (D&D character guide)
Champions of Claw, Fang, and Instinct Beasts in the Creature-Touched Heroes Series (D&D 5e) In the Creature-Touched Heroes series, we explore how the great creature types of Dungeons & Dragons shape the heroes who walk its worlds. Some characters draw power from ancient magic, alien intellects, or...
D&D Background Spotlight: The Entertainer
Applause, Masks, and the Power of Being Seen The Entertainer background is about more than music, juggling, or stage tricks. Entertainers understand something fundamental about the world: people want to feel something. Laughter, awe, sorrow, hope—an Entertainer knows how to pull [caption id="attachment_26903" align="alignright" width="225"] A bard...
The Star Who Wouldn’t Stay Dead (A D&D 5e character background and build)
A Reborn Entertainer Warlock Character Build for D&D 5e Some characters are born heroes.Others earn their power through study, faith, or blood. And then there are the ones who die screaming for one more encore. Welcome to the first entry in a new character-focused D&D blog series: complete...
D&D Background Spotlight: The Charlatan
Lies, Masks, and the Art of Survival The Charlatan background is about more than scams and fake identities—it’s about reinvention. Charlatans survive by reading people, exploiting expectations, and staying one step ahead of consequences. In a fantasy world full of monsters and magic, a convincing lie...
D&D Background Spotlight: The Acolyte
Faith, Duty, Doubt, and Divine Secrets The Acolyte background is one of the most deceptively rich options in Dungeons & Dragons 5e. On the surface, it represents a character devoted to a god, philosophy, or religious institution. Beneath that surface, however, is a web of obligations, expectations,...
Expand Your Roleplaying Through Heritage and Culture in 5E D&D
If you want to stir the pot with the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons fandom then bring up the topic of race and watch the opinions flow. Race is a core mechanic of 5E D&D and while some prefer the term lineage (see Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything) the two terms are used interchangeably within the community. The way I like to run D&D games, I view any mechanic as having a direct influence on the story and likewise I believe every mechanic’s existence ought to be justified by a story element. Race is just one of these areas so let’s break down character race, what it means, and how to use it more effectively in your 5E D&D games.
Wild Beyond the Witchlight Brings D&D Backgrounds to Vibrant Life
Despite a lack of snazzy features and potent powers a fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons character’s background represents perhaps the most impactful part of their creation. Whenever I create a character their background is something I put a lot of thought into because it’s such an important part of their identity. Background illustrates who the character was prior to taking steps on the road to adventure. Wild Beyond the Witchlight introduces two new backgrounds for 5E D&D characters perfect for the newest campaign adventure. Let’s get into it.
How Background Enhances Your D&D Character
The notion of your D&D character having a background is integral to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. It grants you a precious few skill proficiencies, and a combination of tool and language options. While background was a part of 4E, it wasn’t nearly as prominent or impacting as it to your D&D character in this edition, and I think the reason for making background such a big deal is directly related to the attempt of 5E to harmonize mechanics and roleplay.
D&D How to Pick Your Character’s Background
We were really surprised how much the D&D How to Pick Your Character’s Background Video from our D&D How to Pick playlist took off. I suppose it could be because D&D backgrounds are a newer part of the game. It’s seems fairly straightforward and one of the least complicated parts of the game. Even so, I feel it adds a lot of depth to character builds.
Your race is very straightforward — it’s just who you are. Your character class could be the result of training, birth, a deal, or being chosen. The background is very similar in that regard. It might be circumstance or choice. It’s mostly helps to define where the character came from and who they are in the world.
D&D Player traits – Backgrounds and the dreaded Background Uploader
There are many traits players can bring to the table that are less than desirable. From the edgelord who always starts in the corner not talking to anyone, to the non-adventurer playing an adventure-focused game. These traits can be tiresome. I put forth that in your D&D games, the trait that deflates a session, and maybe even a character as a whole, the fastest is the Background Uploader. In this article, we’ll explore what makes a Background Uploader, diagnose maybe why it is they do what they do so well and then, to end on a positive note, we’ll talk about ways to avoid it to include a cool background idea.
New DM Handbook: Character Backstory
There are a lot of people who either don’t feel creative enough to make up a character backstory, or who feel like they’re going to do it wrong. There’s no real way of doing it wrong, as long as you can paint a vivid enough picture of your character for yourself (although I’m sure a lot of DMs would prefer to have something concise, if you’re going to share it with them). Still, I know some people feel lost without some help, so I’m going to share a tool I created for my players that’ll help simplify the process.
Multi-Class Character Builds in Dungeons & Dragons 5e The Sorcerer
Hello fellow Nerdarchests, Art here. I’m back with the next installment of my series Multi-Class Character Builds in Dungeons & Dragons 5e.
As usual I’d like to take a moment to talk about the class in general. With the Sorcerer my personally feelings are mixed of sort. On one hand you basically have a Wizard and on the other hand you have a variation of the Wizard. But, after a closer look and a rows through the spell lists I’ve come to find Sorcerers to be very diverse as a class. Able to handle things in a multitude of ways due to their Sorcery Point ability as well as any abilities from their Blood Lines.
Custom background – Dragon Familiar – Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition
Nerdarchist Ted here and today I take my first foray into making a background for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. We did a video on this possibility of a person being a familiar for a dragon, look for that release on Nerdarchy youtube channel soon. ...
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