CULTURAL BACKGROUND TRAITS
Cultural traits are limited in the sense that they must not conflict with one another if more than one is selected.
ARCTIC BORN [CULTURAL]
You were born to the ice and snow of the arctic. The bitterest cold has little effect on you, and you excel at traveling in areas similar to your homeland.
Mechanics: You gain a +4 bonus on all saves against cold effects. You treat heavy snow as normal terrain rather than difficult terrain. You gain a +2 bonus on
Survival checks and can use that skill trained, even if you lack ranks in it, while traveling through snowy areas. In addition, select one of the following trait abilities:
Ice Water Veins: You remain stoic even in the face of danger. After surviving howling blizzards and spending months at a time inside your clan home, you have
developed mental toughness. You enjoy a +2 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects.
Wanderer at the Edge of Creation: Your curiosity always drove you to penetrate farther and farther into the arctic wastes. You gain a +2 bonus on all Balance,
Climb, and Survival checks to reflect your experience.
ARTISAN [CULTURAL]
You trained as a blacksmith, a cobbler, or in some similar craft before becoming an adventurer. Perhaps you never intended to have this life, but circumstances placed a sword in
your hand and granted you the enduring drive to make a name for yourself with it.
Mechanics: You gain 4 ranks in Craft at 1st-level and 1 bonus rank to spend upon it at each subsequent level. You can purchase goods that you can make with your
Craft skill at a 10 percent discount, as you know enough about your trade to find bargains on quality goods. In addition, select one of the following trait abilities:
Clever Worker: Your long apprenticeship and many hours at work have taught you efficiency. When you take 20 on a skill check, you use half the normal
time.
Materials Expert: You have a keen eye for spotting flaws in objects. When you damage an inanimate object, you inflict 1.5 times your Strength bonus in damage
with a one-handed weapon, or twice your Strength bonus in damage with a two-handed one.
Merchant’s Eye: You have an almost uncanny ability to spot valuable items. You gain a +2 bonus to Appraise checks and can sell items at 10 percent more
than their normal price.
CHILD OF FAITH [CULTURAL]
You were raised in strict observation of religious tenets. You might even be a priest of the faith, though you are an adventurer now.
Mechanics: As long as you have a holy symbol of your religion on your person, you are filled with resolution and faith that your god watches over you. You gain a
+2 bonus against all fear effects and, once per day, may opt to gain a +2 bonus on a single d20 roll of your choice. In addition, you enjoy one of the following trait abilities:
Fanatic: You fight in the name of your god, and your faith drives you forward against the enemy. Once per day, you gain a +4 bonus to damage on a single
attack as you strike with strength fired by your faith.
Inquisitor: You gain a +2 bonus to all Sense Motive checks. As part of your religious training, you learned how to detect heresy among the faithful.
Ordination: You are ordained as a priest of the faith, though your rank is just above that of a lay person. When dealing with others of your faith, they must
obey your orders within reason. They do not fight for you unless the need is dire, and they do not sacrifice themselves. You can expect them to treat you as a valued friend, such as
by offering information, giving you a place to stay, feeding you for at least a few days, and so forth. A title may come with this position. Consult with your DM for information on
religions in the campaign.
CITY RAT [CULTURAL]
You grew up on the tough streets of a city. From a young age, you learned to scavenge and survive at the shadowy edge of the cradle of civilization.
Mechanics: You can make Survival checks in the city with a +2 bonus, even if you lack any ranks in that skill. You can use Survival to track down any specific
dealers and informants. When searching for a specific item, you can make a Survival check (DC equal to the cost of the item you seek divided by 50 gp) to uncover a dealer who offers
it. In addition, select one of the following trait abilities:
Bravo: You are an experienced street fighter. You gain the ability to sneak attack for 1d6 points of damage. If you already have sneak attack, increase its
damage by 1d6 points.
Burglar: You gain a +2 bonus to Hide and Move Silently. In your younger days, you relied on theft to keep yourself fed.
Face in the Crowd: You know the value of blending into the crowd to escape notice. While in a large group, you can make a Disguise check as a standard action
rather than spending long minutes preparing your disguise. You cannot use this benefit if the crowd is hostile or if you do not share the same basic dress or ethnicity.
DESERT BORN [CULTURAL]
While others see the endless dunes of the desert as a daunting obstacle, to you they are home. Intense heat has little effect on you.
Mechanics: You enjoy a +2 bonus on all saves against fire effects. You treat Survival as a trained skill while in the desert and gain a +4 bonus to all Survival
checks made in that environment. You can survive on half the standard amount of food and water; if you carry a three-day supply of food and water, for instance, it lasts you six
days. In addition, select one of the following trait abilities:
Dunestalker: You can run across the shifting sand dunes with ease, while others might slip or stumble in the sand. You gain a +2 bonus to all Balance and
Tumble checks.
Camel’s Tenacity: The desert is a deadly environment, and several times you have survived dust storms and long periods without water through sheer
willpower. When your hit points reach 0 or fewer, you can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your negative hit point total). If this save succeeds, you can continue to take a
standard action rather than fall unconscious. You automatically fall unconscious at –10 hit points and may die as normal.
FOREST BORN [CULTURAL]
You grew up among the towering trees of the forest, where you are at your best. Perhaps you feel uncomfortable in a situation where you can see the horizon.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus to all Survival checks in forested areas and may use Survival untrained in such regions. In addition, select one of the following
trait abilities:
Ghost in the Green: You can step into a forested area and effectively disappear in the blink of an eye. Your talent for finding cover in foliage is born of
years spent in the woods. You can take 10 on Hide checks in the forest at any time, even during combat or other stressful situations.
Tree Runner: From a young age, you have spent as much time climbing trees as wandering the forest floor. You gain a +4 bonus on all Climb checks and retain
your active bonus to defense while climbing.
FORMER SLAVE [CULTURAL]
You were once the property of someone else, and you have addapted physically and mentally to that end. At some point, you left off this life in favor of a life of (relative)
freedom.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus to all Sense Motive and Bluff checks. You suffer none of the penalties for being grappled or pinned, and can perform partial
actions and wield one-handed weapons when bound or entangled. You start the game with half of the initial money normally alloted. In addition, select one of the following trait
abilities:
Hardened: You are accustomed to pain and do not suffer a penalty for (your level) points of damage in injury when making your concentration check. You may
also ignore up to 2 points of morale penalty.
Packrat: You gain a +2 skill bonus to sleight of hand and may use the skill even if you have not trained in it.
Strong Back: You are considered to have +5 strength for the purposes of lifting, dragging, movement and encumbrance.
HIGH BORN [CULTURAL]
You were born into the nobility and enjoyed a life of simple leisure. However, for some reason you have been denied the true fruits of your birthright. Perhaps you were the second
or third born and thus have no claim to an inheritance, or maybe your realm was overrun by invaders. Despite this setback, you still enjoy many of the advantages of your
station.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks when dealing with nobles and officials. Your bearing shines through in formal circumstances. You also start
with double the normal amount of gold to purchase equipment (see Chapter Seven). In addition, select one of the following trait abilities:
Title: You bear an official title in a nation or domain chosen by the DM. While in this land, you can access the upper levels of the nobility or government.
You might not gain an audience with the king, but you can speak with an official or minor noble, if you wish.
Well Educated: You studied a wide range of topics in your youth. You gain 4 bonus skill ranks at 1st level and 1 bonus rank at each subsequent level. These
ranks are in addition to the normal ranks you gain. Add them to your total ranks after accounting for your Intelligence bonus or penalty, not before.
JUNGLE BORN [CULTURAL]
Born and bred in the tropics, you wander the dense rain forests and jungles with the same ease that civilized folk stroll down a street.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus to Survival checks and may use that skill trained in jungle and rain forest terrain. Heat and humidity have little effect on you.
You gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves made to resist high temperature conditions. In addition, you may choose one of the following trait abilities:
Ape’s Agility: While climbing, you can fight without penalty or retain the benefits of a shield you carry. You have learned to fight and defend yourself
while perched in a tree.
Emerald Sentinel: If you have time to prepare an ambush site, you can create face paint and arrange the area to better hide your companions. If you spend 10
minutes preparing an ally, he uses your Hide bonus until he moves.
Friend of Snake and Spider: You gain a +2 bonus on all saves against poisons. Many creatures of your homeland have venomous bites, and you have built up a
stronger than normal resistance to them.
MOUNTAIN FOLK [CULTURAL]
You hail from the towering mountains. Traversing the steep slopes, jagged cliffs, and perilous trails of the peaks seems no more daunting to you than a simple walk through a cleared
green field.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus to all Survival checks made in the mountains. In addition, you are steady on your feet from long hours spent walking along narrow
paths. You gain a +2 bonus to any check or saving throw you make to keep yourself from being knocked prone. You may select one of the following trait abilities as well:
Mountaineer’s Luck: If you should fall from any height, you immediately may make a Reflex save (DC 10) to grab hold of a ledge or similar outcropping
(assuming such is available). Success means you stop falling and suffer no damage. You dangle in the air and lose your active bonus to defense until your next action.
Rock Hurler: You can throw rocks with unerring accuracy. You are proficient with them and treat them as thrown, two-handed, simple weapons with a 10-foot
range increment. The stones inflict damage based on their size. Your DM judges the stone’s size by comparing it to other weapons. Normally, a Medium stone is large enough that
a human must hoist it in two hands. Picking up a stone to throw it is a move action.
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Stone Size
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Thrown Stone Damage
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Tiny
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1d2
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Small
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1d4
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Medium
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1d6
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Large
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2d6
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Huge
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3d6
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Gargantuan
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4d6
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Colossal
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6d6
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Tough as Stone: The mountains have bred toughness and tenacity into you. You gain +3 hit points at 1st level and +1 hit point at each subsequent level.
NOMAD [BACKGROUND]
Your people wandered the steppes on horseback, going where they pleased and robbing, herding, and conquering as they saw fit. You were born into the saddle.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus to all Ride checks, as you have spent more time on horseback than on your own feet since you were born. In addition, select one of
the following trait abilities:
Cavalry Warrior: You learned to fight in the saddle from an early age. Given enough time to form a bond with your horse, you fight with deadly efficiency. If
you spend more than two days with a normal horse, it counts as a warhorse while you ride it. You gain a +1 bonus to attacks when fighting from horseback with a horse that you have
ridden into combat for at least one week and two battles.
Horsemaster: Under your care, a horse becomes stronger, faster, and tougher than normal. Through a combination of exercise and training, you grant any horse
that you own for more than a week a +2 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. This bonus fades if the horse leaves your possession for more than a week. Only one horse can
gain these benefits at a time.
SEA CHILD [CULTURAL]
The sea is your home, whether you grew up on the coast or have spent more time aboard ship than on dry land.
Mechanics: You ignore any penalties to fighting aboard ship due to heavy seas or swaying decks. You gain a +2 bonus to all Balance checks. In addition, you may
select one of the following trait abilities:
Dolphin’s Agility: An expert swimmer, you can slip through the water with unmatched agility. When you attempt a Swim check, roll two d20s and take the
higher of the two die results.
Fisherman: When you were younger, you cast a net to haul in fish for dinner or to sell at market. Now, you use a net to entangle your enemies. You gain Exotic
Weapon Proficiency (net) as a bonus feat.
Marine: You know the seas are dangerous to any who travel them. From sea serpents to pirates, danger always lurks over the horizon. You gain a +1 bonus to
attacks with scimitars, crossbows, and clubs.
SHADOW BORN [CULTURAL]
Your forebears were noted for their mysterious dealings, sinister reputation, and aptitude for magic. From a young age, you displayed strange talents that, it is whispered, derived
from a diabolical pact between your parents and an otherworldly being.
Mechanics: You gain a +2 bonus on all Knowledge checks with the arcana field of study and Spellcraft checks due to your arcane upbringing. In addition, your blood
is tainted with demonic influence—one of your ancestors was from beyond the veil of reality. Select one of the following trait abilities:
Arcane Nature: You gain a +2 bonus to your mana limit each day, allowing you to gather more energy without penalty. (See Chapter Ten: Magic.)
Infernal Glower: You exert a strange influence over others, as your unusual ancestry shines through when you are angry or upset. Your eyes may glow for a
brief moment, or the scent of brimstone briefly wafts through the room. The phenomenon grants you a +4 bonus to Intimidate checks.
Precognition: You enjoy the peculiar ability to catch brief glimpses of the future. Once per day, you can ask a question about the results of an action that
you might take. There is a percentage chance equal to 60 + your Charisma score that you receive a brief insight about this action’s result. Your DM informs you if the action
will yield a result that is good, ill, or both good and ill.
UNDERGROUND DWELLER [CULTURAL]
Born and bred in he depths of the earth, you did not see the light of the sun for a significant portion of your life. You are more aware of the depths than upworlders and have
adapted to the dark and bleak conditions accordingly.
Mechanics: You have darkvision. In addition, you may choose one of the following trait abilities:
Sticky limbs: You get a +2 bonus to climb checks. On a successful climb check, you may also cling to and move at half speed across ceilings without the aid of
equipment. You must be be barefooted and bare-handed to use this ability.
Prowler: You gain a +4 bonus to hide checks.
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