BACKGROUNDS WITH THE STRONGEST FEATURES IN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Plenty of folks who love tabletop role-playing games enjoy the character-creation process as much as the adventure, sometimes even more. Dungeons & Dragons, one of the first and still among the most popular TTRPGs, rode the trend of character customization right into mainstream popular culture. The IP now includes movies, television shows, and video games, and the character-building process is an intrinsic part of every single one.

Part of building a character for a Dungeons & Dragons game entails choosing a Background. Players can customize their characters to an even more refined degree using the creative Backgrounds provided by The Player's Handbook and other related resources. This helps fill out a character's past, including childhood experiences, early training, and previous exploits. Every Background is unique, but some have better features and abilities than others.

Updated on April 4, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: The resource library of Dungeons & Dragons keeps expanding to include more adventures, gear, magical items, and unique settings to discover. These days, the literature and materials required to play are in digital form, now free from an inconvenient paywall, and the franchise has had success in other mediums. The success of the Baldur's Gate 3 video game is drawing many new RPG fans into the genre and bringing tabletop players into the world of video games, giving a boost to various sections of the entertainment industry.

Caravan Specialist

Skills: Animal Handling, Survival

• Source: Princes Of The Apocolypse

The Caravan Specialist is a dedicated, seasoned traveler who not only knows all the routes, roads, pathways, and shortcuts across the land but also knows how and when to move across them. This is an ideal background for virtually any class provided they're in an environment that requires extensive travel. How useful it is will depend on the exact module being played.

Skills included with the Caravan Specialist are Animal Handling and Survival, which make sense for a life spent on the road and in the wilderness. Characters with this background should have a high Wisdom score and start with a whip, a map, a tent for two people, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gold pieces.

Folk Hero

Skills: Animal Handling, Survival

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

A nice callback to old CRPGs, for players who enjoyed classic games like Quest For Glory, the Folk Hero is just that: a hero. This character came from a dull, even humble family, but they were always destined for something greater. Wisdom is the stat connected with the skills granted by the Folk Hero Background. The Rustic Hospitality feature included with this D&D Background guarantees an inherent connection with the common people and is a strong ability for any adventuring module.

The Folk Hero has already made a name for themselves and often has skills related to wilderness survival, martial knowledge, or leadership positions in the local community. The first step in choosing this Background is to roll a d10 to find out exactly how this character made a name for themselves if the player doesn't have a story in mind already. Perhaps they stood up to a gang of roving bandits, slew a troublesome local monster, or led the lord's army to victory.

Charlatan

Skills: Deception, Sleight of Hand

• Source: The Player's Handbook

Here is a popular Background for Rogues who seem to be either Criminals or Charlatans, one famous example being Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. The Charlatan tends to mingle with the higher classes and prefers to talk their victims out of their riches, as opposed to picking their pockets or breaking a window as a Criminal would do.

A character build for a spy, a crooked politician, or a high-class courtesan who moonlights as a jewel thief are all examples of Charlatans. These skills depend on one's character's Charisma and Dexterity score, so Rogues are an obvious choice, but classes like Bards and Monks also make good Charlatans.

Dimir Operative

Skills: Deception, Stealth

• Source: Guildmaster's Guide To Ravnica

As the name implies, The Guildmaster's Guild To Ravnica is all about guilds, and this Background makes the character a covert operative for the House of Dimir. Ideal for any class that likes to hide in the shadows, with a special nod to Rogues, characters with this Background masquerade as a member of a rival house while doing dirty work from the inside.

The exact details of this double life and how it relates to the party activities are something that has to be coordinated with the rest of the plot and storyline. The Dimir Operative can steal secrets from minds and hearts just as easily as from a locked room or an enchanted diary. These are powers that Bards and Rogues normally have but are taken to a higher, more powerful level. Missions could include all kinds of sabotage and subterfuge, and the stakes are high should the player blow their cover.

Athlete

Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics

• Source: Mystic Odysseus Of Theros

Inspired by the Olympic traditions that make up the aesthetic of a module inspired by ancient Greek culture, the Athlete combines several ideal features that a character can use in a variety of situations. It's a great way to get started on a Fighter, Monk, Rogue, or any class that focuses on dealing physical damage.

Rolling a d8 will determine the character's favored sport and athletic Ideal among other traits. Is this person more dedicated to the camaraderie of the activity, or is their spirit more of a competitive type? Regardless of these other details, choosing this Background grants a character proficiency with any kind of land vehicle and a bonus to Acrobatics and Athletic skill checks, which are huge boons when traversing the world of any campaign.

Outlander

Skills: Athletics, Survival

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

One of the classic D&D Backgrounds from the original Player's Handbook, the Outlander is still one of the most useful and powerful backgrounds. It's especially apt if this character is traveling through the wilderness or has chosen a class like Druid or Barbarian that's naturally connected to the outdoors.

Proficiencies for the Outlander include Survival and Athletics, which are determined by the Wisdom and Strength stats and are constantly tested in virtually every D&D adventure. Players can choose an Origin for the character among options that include Homesteader, Trapper, Guide, or Tribal-Nomad.

Noble

Skills: History, Persuasion

• Source: Player's Handbook

The strength of the Noble Background is in its versatility, which can extend to several classes and not just those that rely on Charisma, Intelligence, or Stealth abilities. Noble Knights and Retainers are variants of this Background, and they serve the Noble in a variety of capacities that can include a path to high society.

Regardless of the class, this Background gives any character an ability called Position of Privilege, which is similar to getting a Charisma boost. This means the character has a higher social status, and the public is inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, which could be the most valuable skill in D&D outside of combat.

Anthropologist

Skills: Insight, Religion

• Source: Tomb Of Annihilation

A versatile Background that's not specific to any class but instead can be utilized by any wanderer, student, or traveler, the Anthropologist specializes in knowing more about other cultures. This life-long learning can pertain to history, culture, politics, religions, and even local cuisine. This knowledge could have been obtained by experience, study, or a combination of both, as it's reflected in high Wisdom and Intelligence stats.

The details of this Background include being raised in a family of a different race, and they are often multilingual. These are all handy skills that any adventuring party would be grateful to have, especially in a module like Tomb of Annihilation. An Anthropologist who is a member of the Digger's Union, for example, is all about gathering information as well as valuable items.

Clan Crafter

Skills: History, Insight

• Source: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

The Clan Crafter is often of Dwarven ancestry, as the species is known for their skill with the forge and the workshop bench, but it's not mandatory. The proficiency skills associated with this Background are History and Insight, and the player can choose one set of tools relevant to their art.

Other fun, unique accessories included in this Background's items include a maker’s mark chisel to customize what the character makes or builds, a set of travel clothing, and a pouch with five gold pieces and a semi-precious gem. Factors like Ideals and Personality traits determine where the character learned their craft and what they hope to accomplish with it.

Criminal

Skills: Deception, Stealth

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

Characters don't have to be Rogues to have a Criminal Background. A contradiction like this is often what makes a backstory more interesting. A variation on this D&D Background can also be the Spy or the neighborhood gang leader, but the line between each is fuzzy and should ultimately be determined by the Dungeon Master.

No matter what class a character is, choosing this Background will grant them skills like Lockpicking and Stealth-related abilities and handy accessories like thieves' tools and a crowbar. The choice of the Criminal specialty is the real advantage here, ranging from Blackmailer to Smuggler, and the criminal character can still take advantage of old criminal contacts in the present time. These connections can prove useful when the party is stuck.

Astral Drifter

Skills: Insight, Religion

• Source: Spelljamer: Adventures In Space

It's a fine life traveling the Silver Void for fun and profit, but there's a price to pay for the decades of living on the Astral Plane. Those characters with the Astral Drifter Background no longer feel hunger or thirst and stopped aging centuries ago. Most of the species of this Background are Celestial or Gith, but with the right Dungeon Master and use of lore, it could be anyone.

Astral Drifters have a unique feature called Divine Contact. They've had some kind of close and intimate communication with a deity, which gave them the Magic Initiate skill, specifically the Cleric. Players should speak with the DM to determine which god or roll a d20 to make a random determination.

Entertainer

Skills: Acrobatics, Performance

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

It's not just for Bards, although that would be the most obvious choice. Players can get creative and use this D&D Background for a character who has expertise in disguise or specific types of stagecraft, like pyrotechnics or choreography. A variant of this Background is the Gladiator, just to illustrate how far this can go, but it's up to the DM and also depends on the campaign if it fits.

This Background offers bonuses in handy skills like Acrobatics and Performance, which are determined by Dexterity and Charisma, but the really strong benefit is By Popular Demand. A character with an Entertainer Background can always find lodging at various places that welcome entertainers, including theaters, taverns, and even circus tents. This is incredibly handy in a game where finding a safe place to rest can be a real problem.

Far Traveler

Skills: Insight, Perception

• Source: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

No matter what module they're playing, this character is always from a mysterious place somewhere far away. As exotic as it is, it's still somewhere in Faerun, unless the player and DM have created something special from another plane of reality, which is also a possibility.

This Background can tie into a character's class or race in a variety of interesting ways. Along with unique items like a musical instrument, maps, a gaming set, or other memorabilia from their nation of origin, a Far Traveler also gets some nice boosts to Perception and Insight checks on top of an already high Wisdom score.

Silverquill Student

Skills: Intimidation, Persuasion

• Source: Strixhaven: A Curriculum Of Chaos

This unique module is designed to mimic an actual college curriculum, which makes sense because it's about a school of mages. Strixhaven University is located on an ethereal plane where some exciting and fantastic adventures take place, with a whole adventuring resource dedicated to study and magic.

The Silverquill could be called the "Silver Tongue," as it's a school of rhetoric, wit, inspiring battle poetry, and insults. It's one of the best Background options that exist for the party leader, and aside from the RP and public uses, this D&D Background allows the player to cast their spells faster than others. That's one of the best abilities that any caster can possess.

Haunted One

Skills: Choose Any Two From Arcana, Investigation, Religion, Or Survival

• Source: Curse Of Strahd

Every character needs something to motivate them, and for some, it's a terrifying event or gruesome tragedy. That's the basic premise behind the Haunted One Background, and although it's not limited to classes like Warlocks or Sorcerers, it can be one way to complete the backstory for a character with a haunted past.

The Harrowing Event that defines this Background is randomly selected using a d10 and can include surviving a monster attack, escaping from a witch, or reading a cursed tome. One example is the Dark Urge from BG3, an Origin character who is haunted by the Time of Troubles and the god Bhaal. Haunted Ones have better Survival, Insight, Religion, and Arcana, but the most useful ability with the Haunted One background is called Heart of Darkness. This ensures that the characters will always find sympathy from the people they meet on their travels, and that can take the form of money, food, or a place to sleep.

Gambler

Skills: Deception, Insight

• Source: Acquisitions Incorporated

This Background gives one's character Deception and Insight saving throws along with a gaming set. Players can roleplay someone who indulges in games of chance out of boredom, desperation, or just for fun.

Other handy abilities granted by this Background include a lucky charm, a set of fine clothes, and a feature called Never Tell Me The Odds. This is similar to the Lucky feat in that it gives the character an improvement on their saving throws, but it works for non-combat situations, including the foresight needed for making plans.

Feylost

Skills: Deception, Survival

• Source: The Wild Beyond The Witchlight

The Stolen Child is an old story about a human baby who is replaced with a "changeling" or a fairy, and this Background is a version of what might happen to those children spirited away to the Feywild as babies. The Feylost spent part of their upbringing in the Fey, and it could be that they were taken by a kind spirit that mentored them or an evil one from which they had to escape. Either way, the result is interesting powers and abilities that can only be found in The Wild Beyond The Witchlight. The skill proficiencies of the Feylost include Deception and Survival, which are determined by a character's Charisma and Wisdom scores.

Every character starts with a musical instrument, a choice of Fey-connected languages that include Gnomish and Sylvan, and three trinkets randomly chosen from the Feywild Trinkets table. Another interesting feature of this Background is that, after a long rest, random spirits of the Feywild might pay this character a visit.

Sage

Skills: Arcana, History

• Source: The Player's Handbook

It's a Background for characters that love their books, scrolls, and ancient tomes, so it's often Clerics and Wizards that come from Sage Backgrounds. Arcana and History are based on Intelligence, which is typically a high stat for Wizards and Artificers, so there are a variety of classes that could be a Sage.

For even more interesting details, players can use a 1d8 to determine their field of expertise, like Astronomer or Librarian. Gale of Waterdeep, one of the Companions and Origin characters in BG3, is a naturally talented Wizard who happens to have a Sage Background.

Gladiator

Skill: Acrobatics, Performance

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

One of the original D&D Background choices available in the most essential and basic of resources, The Player's Handbook, the Gladiator is a natural fit for melee fighting classes. It's most notably suited to the Barbarian, but Shamans and Rangers also make decent Gladiators.

A person can become a Gladiator for a variety of reasons. Not everyone is condemned to fight for the amusement of the crowds as a criminal or a slave, so a Gladiator doesn't have to be of an evil moral alignment. The skills for this Background include Athletics and Performance, which are handy for a variety of classes. Characters also get a Disguise Kit and proficiency with land vehicles.

Soldier

Skills: Athletics, Intimidation

• Source: D&D Player's Handbook

The basic skills for this Background are determined by Strength and Charisma, which is an ideal choice for a character that grew up in a military environment. This could entail parents or guardians that made war a part of their career and lifestyle, or maybe they joined up at a young age.

All of these details are worked out during the character creation process, including the rank of the character, which is the real strength of this Background. All the options offered for a Soldier's Specialty are great for any character with a melee-fighting build. These include Cavalry, Officers, Standard bearers, kitchen workers, and tradespeople. Another strength of this background is Military Rank, which this character still has and is recognized in certain castles, forts, and various army units.

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