Demigod (5e Background)
Demigod[edit]
Achilles, son of goddess Thetis, killing Hector of Troy |
A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" (spiritual enlightenment). Who were your parents? How did they meet to give birth to your character? Why specifically the god(dess) of your choosing? What benefits does your character gain for being the offspring of this particular deity?
The God or Goddess you select will vary on your proficiencies and character benefits; As well as affecting your character development should your chosen deity be frowned upon in your campaign setting.
Skill Proficiencies: Pick any two of your choice.
Tool Proficiencies: Pick any one of the Artisan's Tools
Languages: Pick a language known by your deity.
Equipment: A religious token dedicated to your parental deity (Emblem, Amulet, Mask, etc.), a set of beautiful clothes,
Descendance[edit]
The many deities can each fall under a general category of the following listed. Which does yours?
d6 | Descendance |
---|---|
1 | Arcane |
2 | Love |
3 | Justice |
4 | War |
5 | Trickery |
6 | Nature |
Feature: Divine Descendant[edit]
Varying on your descendance, you are seen as a hero or a menace to society. This is affected by your current social environment, for some regions have various religious beliefs and opinions on the various deities. Should your divine parent be seen as a good entity that is praised, your interactions with the general public are often gentle and content. Should your divine parent be seen as a bad omen or a disgrace, general public interactions do not go quite well in your favor.
Alternate Feature: Legacy Breaker[edit]
You find being of divine blood a privilege you do not want anything to do with. Perhaps because your godly parent is the deity of something you do not agree to be morally right, or you simply despise. You frequently find yourself trying to distance yourself from the inevitable to the point you pretend to be an average mortal. Whenever introducing yourself, you remove any information about your divine blood from any conversation on your background as if it weren't there in the first place.
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
d8 | Personality Trait |
---|---|
1 | I feel at home when I am around magic, and I feel anxious anywhere magic is unwelcome. |
2 | I am very open of my divine blood. |
3 | I'm often hostile to those who talk bad about my divine parent. |
4 | I view mortals as puny and worthless. |
5 | I find bond between gods and mortals to be a beautiful thing. |
6 | I believe gods and mortals should not be allowed to have relations. |
7 | The church of my parent is my home away from home. |
8 | I see myself as cursed. |
d6 | Ideal |
---|---|
1 | I Am My Own Person Regardless of my heritage, I am my own person and make my own decisions for myself. (Neutral) |
2 | Make Them Proud I use my parent's name in good faith and do positive things to keep their name alive. (Good) |
3 | Do You Know Who I Am? The divine power is my birthright and I will do as I please. (Evil) |
4 | Rules are Rules I may be a Demigod, but I'm still bound to the laws as everyone else. (Lawful) |
5 | I'm only "human" We all make mistakes, nobody is perfect. (Neutral) |
6 | I Am A God! I am above everyone else, I should be respected and feared as the rules of mortals do not apply to me. (Chaotic) |
d6 | Bond |
---|---|
1 | Society has made me the monster I am and now they will feel the power of a god. |
2 | I am not my parent's child. I will become my own person. |
3 | Family is family, I will keep my name a positive one. |
4 | I am next in line for replacing my divine parent in their godly status. |
5 | I am the messenger between the mortals and my parent. |
6 | I have been abandoned and forgotten by my parent. I have yet to decide whether to take that as a curse or a blessing. |
d6 | Flaw |
---|---|
1 | My public image means everything to me. I will do what I can to keep it a positive one. |
2 | I refuse to be connected to my parent in any way. I will kill someone over it, if need be. |
3 | I am overconfident. |
4 | I do as I please regardless of consequences. |
5 | Places of religion give me anxiety. |
6 | I hate large crowds. |
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