Background: Convict

The Convict is p art of a series of backgrounds I am doing called "Heroes Reborn" intended to focus on people who had once lived lives of great power and influence, but are made to start again. So many times in D&D I found myself asking how it is that people grow so strong so quickly, how they had gone their entire life at one level of ability, only to grow exponentially stronger suddenly. Of course, the answer is, "now we're adventuring", but I have always thought it would be fun to have specific reasons why your character is changing so dramatically.

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“Matilda jammed the sharpened spoon into the woman’s stomach just as the rain began. The elderly woman dropped the loaf of bread and wrapped her arms around Matilda’s neck. The two stared into each other’s eyes and Matilda watched as the woman slipped away. Is this what she had become? Is this what she had been shaped into? Matilda did not know how long she had stood there. She looked down. The bread had intended to steal from the woman had already been taken by some street vermin.”

CONVICT

Sentenced to a deep, dark dungeon, you have spent years rotting away. As you finally stepped into the sun, you were nearly blinded. Now, you’ve got to make your way in a world that likely doesn’t want you.

Were you a noble political prisoner, sentenced to the dungeon for the crime of losing some internal political battle? Did you steal a loaf of bread to feed your children? Or are you the kind of scum the dungeons were built for, a thieving, murdering scoundrel with no moral compass to speak of?

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Stealth, Persuasion, Intimidation, Survival, and Sleight of Hand

Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' tools and one type of gaming set

Equipment: A set of common clothes, thieves’ tools, and one gaming set

VARIANT: SANITARIUM PATIENT

You never actually committed a crime, at least not one you could be held responsible for in your state. You’ve spent the last while in a local sanitarium under the care and guidance of priests that may have treated you with kindness or cruelty. The voices told you to get out of that place, and you obeyed. Now, if you could only shut them up for five seconds and think. Work with your DM to determine the nature of your psychosis and how it will play into your game.

FEATURE: 24601

For better or worse you have been tattooed to indicate your status as a convict. The tattoo may be visibly inked onto your face or somewhere much more easily concealed. Being an ex convict will likely raise suspicion around the common folk, but nothing buys the trust of a fellow criminal like having done time. When visible, your tattoo causes guards, merchants, and citizens to regard you with suspicion and wariness. However, you can gain the trust of a criminal or criminal organization by showing your tattoo.

SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS

An ex convict’s life is defined by two things: the circumstances of their arrest and the circumstances of their release or escape. Convicts rarely respect the rule of law and will often break it just to break it. Often convicts are haunted by the prospect of spending life among a people who ostracize them for the crimes for which they have already paid or, worse, the possibility of be imprisoned again. Use the following charts to determine the circumstances of your conviction and release.

ARREST HISTORY (D8)

1. I was sent to the dungeons when my minor noble family sided with the wrong side of a coup.

2. I was an infamous cutthroat who left a trail of bodies in my wake.

3. I was convicted of a crime I didn’t commit after being accused by a jealous neighbor.

4. I was a law abiding citizen until I committed the one victimless crime that got me arrested.

5. I was arrested along with a group of like-minded political dissidents seeking governmental change.

6. They keep telling me I am crazy. I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy!

7. I was an expert assassin that took a too good to be true contract, but was set up as a fall guy.

8. My partner betrayed me after making the score of a lifetime, leaving me for dead.

ESCAPE HISTORY (D8)

1. I spent ages preparing for perfect escape that went off without a hitch.

2. I escaped during a violent prisoner uprising, taking advantage of a very lucky situation.

3. I was pardoned by the local magistrate after she discovered my innocence.

4. I was rescued by my old comrades moments before facing the executioner’s axe.

5. I served my time as best I could and was released according to the law.

6. A wealthy benefactor bribed guards to let me walk right out the door.

7. My escape was as violent as my arrest. The guards on duty never stood a chance.

8. The circumstances of my escape could only be described as an act of the gods.

PERSONALITY TRAIT (D8)

1. I will do anything to prevent going back to prison.

2. I’ve been in prison so long I can barely remember how to function outside of it.

3. When food is put on the table, I take as much as I can and protect it from others.

4. The more people treat me like a criminal, the more I act like one.

5. When nervous or scared I refuse to communicate through any means other than the dolls I made, holding them up and using very poor ventriloquism.

6. I always want to hear both sides before judging.

7. There were no members of the opposite sex in prison. When I see an attractive one now, I lose focus on everything else.

8. I squirrel away my possessions in tiny hiding spaces.

IDEALS (d6)

1. Justice- The rule of law must be tempered with adherence to a strict moral code. (Good)

2. Freedom- We don’t have to and really shouldn’t trust those in power. They’re the real criminals. (Chaotic)

3. Might- If I can take it with force, I will. Negotiating is for the weak. (Evil)

4. Greed- Money buys power and I want both. (Evil)

5. Chaos- I just want to see the world burn. (Chaotic)

6. People- My gang is like my family. (Any)

BONDS (d6)

1. The rest of my family is still wrongfully imprisoned.

2. I could never leave my home city for long, even if it means being arrested again.

3. Only I know where the loot from my gang’s last heist is hidden.

4. I will clear my name and take back my life.

5. My old gang thinks I am the one that ratted them out.

6. I harbor an awful and corrupting secret that drove me mad. Revealing it would shake the foundations of the world, but I am unable or unwilling to share it.

FLAWS (d6)

1. I can’t turn down a hefty purse, even if the job seems a bit fishy.

2. I tend to lie, even when it there is no reason to do so.

3. I fly into a rage when people sing.

4. I am very unlikely to trust or like representatives of the law, even if they are performing legitimate duty.

5. I am deathly afraid of dark or cramped spaces.

6. I really see the people with me as a means to some other end.

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