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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 1: Ancestries & Backgrounds

Backgrounds

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 48
This chapter contains new backgrounds for characters from all walks of life, from bandits to teachers. This section also includes a set of special rare backgrounds that you and your GM might agree to use in a campaign.

Common Backgrounds

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 48
The following common backgrounds supplement those found in the Core Rulebook and are available to any character during character creation. Some of these backgrounds grant skill feats from Chapter 4 of this book.

Rare Backgrounds

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 50
While most backgrounds are available to any character, some backgrounds are so unusual that just having them makes a character rare and extraordinary.

These rare backgrounds can give a player a significantly different roleplaying experience by setting their character up with a history or legacy beyond the norm. Whether a character with the royalty background is heir to the throne of the kingdom where your campaign takes place or to a distant but powerful nation in the same world, the character is situated in a special position within the narrative. Your character's background is an intrinsic part of where they come from and not something they earn during the game. Rare backgrounds should be chosen only after a discussion between the GM and the other players as to whether one would apply for a particular character in your group's game.

Backgrounds can also be unique, such that no other character can have them if your character does. To create unique backgrounds, you can adapt the rare backgrounds in this section by including more specific details.