Hometowns & Backgrounds
Hometowns & Backgrounds is designed for use
with Shadowdark RPG, and can be used in place of or in
addition to the standard backgrounds.
To determine your character’s background, roll
2d8. The first d8 determines your hometown, and the
second d8 determines your background.
1 Forest Village
You see the forest for the trees and know the
1 Lumberjack dangers within.
While your craft values function, your peers
2 Carpenter see you as a true artisan.
Whether making tools or weapons of war, iron
3 Blacksmith is shaped in your skilled hands.
You know how to work animal hides of all
4 Tanner kinds.
You respect the wilds, but have no
5 Trapper compunction being a predator
There's a fortune to be made in furs. You've
6 Fur Trader tried your best to prove that.
You know the value of turning wood, feather,
7 Fletcher and steel into a finely honed projectile.
You've heard countless stories from your
8 Innkeeper patrons. It's time to make some of your own.
3 Farming Village
Till, sow, reap, rest. You labor every day to
1 Farmer feed your community.
Stable You feel at ease with animals. And they feel
2 Keeper at ease with you.
You lost everything. Only the generosity of
3 Mendicant neighbors has kept you going.
The locals pay you to mill their harvest. And
4 Miller you pay yourself with a bit of their grain.
While your craft values function, your peers
5 Carpenter see you as a true artisan.
You make your wander through villages,
6 Trader trading whatever odds and ends you find.
You were the appointed leader of your small
7 Mayor town, but that time is over.
You know the words of the gods, and how to
8 Friar interpret them.
To use these alongside the standard
backgrounds, roll 1d8 for your hometown. Then roll on
both that hometown table and the standard backgrounds
and pick one.
Not all “hometowns” are specific locations.
Rather they reflect the local geography and culture your
character comes from.
2 Mining Town
Whether making tools or weapons of war, iron
1 Blacksmith is shaped in your skilled hands.
Working the stone is a living. You know where
2 Miner ores are found, and what value they have.
Your careful hands know how to work the
3 Silversmith most precious and delicate metals.
You've heard countless stories from patrons.
4 Innkeeper It's time to make some of your own.
Ale has been a fast friend. It's helped you
5 Drunkard bury memories you wish you could forget.
You excel at doing whatever needs done, and
6 Hired Hand most of that is honest work.
You've delved deep, and returned with
7 Spelunker treasures.
8 Gravedigger You have faced death more than most.
4 Mountain Village
You know how to break down an animal and
1 Butcher what parts are the most valuable.
Milk is good, but nothing beats a fantastic
2 Dairy Farmer cheese.
You lost everything. Only the generosity of
3 Mendicant neighbors has kept you going.
You know how to work animal hides of all
4 Tanner kinds.
The world no longer makes sense. Best to
5 Hermit shut it out.
You roam the mountains, guarding your flock
6 Shephard with a staff and a sling.
You've heard countless stories from patrons.
7 Innkeeper It's time to make some of your own.
Life at the monastery is arduous, but you
8 Disciple serve a higher calling.
5 Port City 6 Capital City
Everything has a price, and you intend to
1 Merchant make a profit by selling it. 1 Diplomat You are an emissary from another kingdom.
You know the local waters and the local You are well versed in bureaucracy, and have
2 Fisher gossip. 2 Seneschal curried a few powerful favors
If those with money can't keep it, they didn't When the city needed troops to keep the
3 Pickpocket deserve it to begin with. 3 Guard peace, you stepped up.
Potions, poisons, unguents, elixirs. You know
You've sailed to distant lands and returned what strange ingredients make the most
4 Shipmate with strange cargo. 4 Apothecary potent potables.
When the city needed troops to keep the You prove that who you know can be more
5 Guard peace, you stepped up. 5 Courtesan important than any title.
Blowing glass takes strong lungs and adept
6 Glassblower hands. 6 Heir The line of succession is rife with betrayal.
You know enough to be dangerous, but
7 Grifter Everyone is a potential mark. Even you. 7 Student knowledge grows with diligence.
All the world is your stage, except the places You've spent years in dungeons. The world
8 Troubadour you've been chased out of. 8 Prisoner outside seems strange.

7 Nomadic Clan 8 Far Away Land

The air in the lowlands is too thick. You prefer
1 Mountainfolk cold breaths on rocky slopes. 1 Drifter You have walked many long and lonely roads.
Desert To outsiders, the desert is a wasteland. You Something destroyed your home. It still
2 Wanderer know its bounties. 2 Survivor haunts you.
Your people roam an endless sea of grass You've come from afar, seeking to map all
3 Steppe Tribe with horses as your ships. 3 Cartographer that can be explored.
Killing dangerous prey is a rite of passage Whether divine or profane, you have a
4 Beast Hunter you have yet to achieve. 4 Prophet message for the world.
You know what plants and salves can heal You travel the world, chronicling its history in
5 Healer your kin. 5 Balladeer song.
You were meant to die so your people could
6 Survivalist You've spent countless days in the wild. 6 Sacrifice live. You chose to flee instead.
You know many tongues and many songs in Bounty Your quarry is elusive. You've traversed great
7 Orator each one. 7 Hunter distances to find them.
You have traveled far in search of a holy
8 Heir The line of succession is rife with betrayal. 8 Pilgrim place.

Hometowns & Backgrounds is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane
Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.