Amnesiac (5e Background)

Amnesiac

You... don't even know who you were before becoming an Adventurer. You come up with so many different ideas of who you were, ideas that would keep you up at night. You adventure, dig through history, investigate on leads, hoping that they'd bring you one step closer to finding out who you truly are... That is if you even want to know who you are.. Maybe you lost your memory from an explosion that caused you to hit your head, maybe you overdosed on a dodgy potion that blanked your mind, maybe you were cursed to forget everything, maybe you did this to yourself to forget a horrible trauma. Whatever happened, you have no idea, but there must be evidence of the past somewhere...

Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Investigation

Tool Proficiencies: Choose one musical instrument or gaming set, and one weapon

Languages: One of your choice

Equipment: Two trinkets from your past (one of which is a meaningless red herring and the other being pivotal to your forgotten backstory. Which is up to your DM, who does not have to share which if they don't want to), one weapon you are proficient with, a set of commoner's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 GP.

Quirks and Impulses

Although you have no memory, you are not a blank slate. Certain mannerisms and behaviours persist, even though you don't remember their point of origin.

d6	Specialization
1	Formal Attitude. You speak extremely formally at all times, especially to those you see as superiors. This may have been due to a military or noble background.
2	Forgiver. Even when you don't always fully believe it, you have a strong feeling that everyone should be given a second chance. This impulse may steer you right, but you may also develop a deep distrust of it as well.
3	Wanderlust. You feel a compulsion to travel, like you used to do it all the time. When in one place for too long, you grow physically restless. Over time, you might choose to curb this instinct.
4	Driven to Learn. For some reason you are compelled to the library and colleges of the world. The urge to absorb and learn as much as you can is deeply rooted in you. This may or may not line up with your class, it may help or hinder your path to finding yourself.
5	Religious Thinking. You find yourself easily convinced by religious figures and messages. Evidently, you were quite the devout in your past, although you might now have a fresh perspective on the consequences of such thinking now that you're starting from scratch.

Feature: Deja Vu

You suddenly remember a huge amount of detail about a person, place or thing that you are currently looking at or interacting with without knowing why. Maybe a certain phrase or image sets you off, but you suddenly know all about this thing like you've been familiar with it for years. Any Insight, Investigation or History checks you make relating to this thing are done with advantage. You can use this feature three times per campaign and/or per character.

Alternate Feature: "Oh, I know that!"

Despite your amnesia, you clearly remember one specific field of knowledge, lore, or something else. Choose the field you want your character to know and write it down on your character sheet. If you fail your History roll regarding that field of knowledge, you can consult for the answer regardless unless it is otherwise impossible to know about it (i.e. it's unknown)

d8	Personality Trait
1	I like to do something to capture the current moment, be it writing down a poem or drawing a picture.
2	I keep a notebook of all the things I'm supposed to know so I won't forget it.
3	I have a ribbon tied to my finger at all times... And I don't know why.
4	I get constant headaches when I want to think about my past.
5	I come up with a new story of who I was every time I am asked.
6	I worry that I'll forget the life I'm living right now.
7	I sometimes think about who my family was and where I fitted in.
8	I don't want to pay close attention to my past.

d6	Ideal
1	Beginning. "This is a new, fresh start for me!" (Any)
2	Placement. "I will become a helpful member of my community, both from my past and my new future." (Lawful)
3	Improvement. "In order for me to be better in the future, I must know about my past." (Good)
4	Neglect. "Why bother searching for my past? It's in the past, after all." (Neutral)
5	Freedom. "Having no memories means having no obligations." (Chaotic)
6	Advantage. "Once I find out who I was, I'll use it to take back what I want." (Evil)

d6	Bond
1	A kindly old man took me in when he found me. I owe him a favor ever since.
2	I had a lover in my past who wants me to come back to her.
3	I hold onto my trinket, the only thing that I remember in my past.
4	The home I live in right now is the only home that matters to me.
5	I have a good idea who's responsible for my amnesia, and they will pay for it.
6	I remember only one person from my past. He holds the key to finding out about who I was.

d6	Flaw
1	I will stop at nothing to find out who I was.
2	Every time I hit a dead end in learning of my past, I mentally shut down for a bit.
3	On top of forgetting my past, I also forgot basic stuff like eating.
4	I'm quick to forget things.
5	I will latch onto anything that will provide me at least an idea of who I was, even if it's an obvious trap.
6	I am almost certain that what I did in the past was bad, and the guilt eats me up even though I don't know what it was.

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Backgrounds