Part of building a character for a D&D game is choosing a Background. This helps fill out a character’s past, including their childhood experiences, early training, and previous exploits. It’s advisable to keep a d10, a d8, and a d6 handy for this part of the process, as rolling these dice will determine certain aspects. Every Background is unique, but some have more useful features than others.
Updated July 28, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose:New modules and rulebooks with more interesting Background choices have recently been added to the already extensive Dungeons & Dragons library. Players can customize their characters to an even more refined degree using the creative backgrounds provided by these various new resources. With that in mind, this list has been updated to include even more of the best backgrounds players can choose for their characters. There’s always the possibility of homebrewed Backgrounds as well, provided the DM approves.
10 Folk Hero, 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. The Rustic Hospitality feature guarantees an inherent connection with the common people, and is a strong ability for any adventuring module.
RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Must-Use Campaign Settings For Your Game Table
The Folk Hero has already made a name for themselves and often has skills related to wildernesssurvival, martial knowledge, or leadership position 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. Perhaps they stood up to a gang of roving bandits, slew a troublesome local monster, or led the lord’s army to victory.
9 Dimir Operative, Guildmaster’s Guild 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 type of 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 related 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 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.
8 Athlete, 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.
RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Tips For Creating A Holiday-Themed One-Shot
Roll a d8 to determine the character’s favored sport and Athlete Ideal, among other traits. Is this person more dedicated to the camaraderie of the activity, or is their spirit the more 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.
7 Anthropologist, Tomb of Annihilation
A versatile Background that’s not specific to any class but instead can be utilized by any wanderer, student, or traveler, an Anthropologist specializes in knowing more about other cultures than the average character. That can pertain to history, culture, politics, religions, and more. This knowledge could have been obtained by experience or study, or a combination of both.
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. Being a member of the Digger’s Union is all about gathering information as well as valuable items.
6 Criminal, 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 Background can also be the Spy, 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 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.
5 Entertainer, D&D Player’s Handbook
This background is not just for Bards, although that would be the most obvious choice. Players can get creative and use this Background for a character who has expertise in disguise or specific types of stagecraft, like pyrotechnics. 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 whether this fits.
RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Best Multiclassing Combinations
This Background offers bonuses in handy skills like Acrobatics and Performance, 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. That’s handy in a game where finding a safe place to rest can be a real problem.
4 Far Traveler, 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 Faerûn, unless the player and DM have created something special — 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.
3 Silverquill Student, Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
This unique module is designed to mimic an actual college curriculum, which makes sense because this module is about a school of mages. The Strixhaven University is located on an ethereal plane where some exciting and fantastic adventures take place.
RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Every Casting Class, Ranked
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 Background allows the player to cast their spells faster than others. That’s one of the best abilities that any caster can possess.
2 Haunted One, 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 literally 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. They 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 character 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.
1 Soldier, D&D Player’s Handbook
Athletics and Intimidation make up the basic skills for this Background, which is an ideal choice for a character that grew up in a military environment. This could mean parents or guardians that made war a part of their career and lifestyle, or 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, Officer, Standard Bearer, or even as a worker in the kitchen or a blacksmith. Another strength of this background is Military Rank, which this character still has and is recognized in certain castles, forts, and various army units.
MORE: Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons That Can Destroy Any Player
