Background: Amnesiac

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AMNESIAC

Who are you? Well, you don’t really know. That’s the problem. You have been the victim of some kind of amnesia. It could be magical, psychological, or simply caused by head trauma. You woke up not too long ago in a strange place full of strange people. None of them seemed to know you. Or at least they didn’t admit to knowing you. Luckily you at least seem to understand what they’re saying, even though they are speaking several different languages.

Did you wake up on a battlefield, surrounded by dead soldiers wearing the same uniform as you? Were you a person of power and influence whose memory was stripped from them in some kind of coup? Maybe you’ve been cursed by the gods as punishment for some great crime against their rule. Are you driven by a desire to reclaim your name or perfectly happy for the chance to start over?

Languages: Choose any three languages

Tool Proficiencies: Choose one from among one type of gaming set, one musical instrument, and thieves' tools

Equipment: A set of common clothes and a trinket that stirs up some distant memory you can’t quite form.

FEATURE: UNCANNY MEMORY

With so much of your memory missing, you have an unnatural ability to remember things you have learned since your incident. You can learn languages in one third of the standard time required.

SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS

An Amnesiac is defined by the unknown. At any moment they might stumble upon a person who recognizes them, but appears to be a total stranger. Will it be friend or foe? Suspicion and confusion are daily experiences for an Amnesiac, and friends are hard to make and keep. Talk with your DM about forming an appropriate situation in which your memory starts and what methods, if any, can return your lost memories. You may choose to build your own back story, roll for a random background in the Player’s Handbook, or allow your DM to make it in secret.

SOURCE OF AMNESIA (You may or may not know this) (D6)

1. I am fairly certain the amnesia is a result of my terrible head wound.

2. The wizards assured me the amnesia is magical, though its source eluded them.

3. Absolutely no one I have talked to can tell me what has caused my amnesia.

4. One of the gods has cursed me.

5. Some foul disease or poison has destroyed my memories.

6. My mind has erased its own memory to cope with some awful thing I saw or experienced.

FORMER LIFE (You may or may not know this either) (D6)

1. I was a simple worker in labor field. I could have been a dock worker, smith, gem cutter, or something else. I am not sure exactly which, but the callouses on my hands tell me I lived a hard life.

2. I worked with magical energies as a low level wizard or clerk within a wizard’s tower.

3. I lived a life of ill repute and carry a very explicit tattoo that indicates this.

4. I was a member of the clergy.

5. I was a minor courtier in some far kingdom.

6. I was a soldier.

PERSONALITY TRAIT (D6)

1. Bitter- What kind of person am I to not have a past? Why even try to start again?

2. Flashes of Memory- Whether because of specific sensory inputs or just random, I get flashes of memories from my past life.

3. Zone Out- I tend to stare silently in to space, either because I’m thinking or just staring.

4. New Lease- Whoever I was, I am me now. I am actually excited to start fresh.

5. Haunting Tune- I often hum, whistle, or play a song that I am unsure how I know. The song itself has an ill effect on those around me.

6. Naive- I don’t really know how the world works.

IDEALS (D6)

1. Open- I have so much to learn. I can’t reject any opinions out of hand.(Good)

2. Ambition- I will do whatever it takes to regain my memories. (Evil)

3. Freedom- No one can or should tell me who I am supposed to be. (Chaotic)

4. Destiny- I believe that everything happens for a reason and that all we can do is accept it. (Lawful)

5. Inquisitive- Everything is new, but I have a thirst to learn. (Neutral)

6. Suspicious- Any could know who I am, even people who recognize me and don't say anything!(Any)

BONDS (D6)

1. I don’t know who or where they are, but I know I have a family somewhere.

2. The people I am with saved me.

3. There is a place that I feel drawn or connected to.

4. The trinket I possess is more valuable than life itself.

5. I owe a debt to the person who helped get me back on my feet.

6. The afflicted of the world should be protected.

FLAWS (D6)

1. Because I don’t have any evidence to the contrary and am desperate for a sign of my past, I am much too quick to believe people who say they know me.

2. I tend to forget what I was doing.

3. My morals are extremely malleable.

4. I can’t stand when people take pity on me.

5. When I started remembering things, I didn’t tell anyone.

6. My amnesia appears to have some after effects and I tend to forget details of plans.

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