Narrator (5e Background)

This content deviates from 5e standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5e rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

THIS MUST ONLY BE USED IF THE DM HAS A CHARACTER IN THE STORY, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY PLAYER NOT RUNNING THE SESSION BE ALLOWED TO USE THIS. And you're not allowed to bs the abilities this background gives you just because you're the DM. you know who you are, so stop it.''

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Side character/narrator Naven Nuknuk in the upcoming Epithet Erased novel, also the entire idea for this background.

The Narrator

Skill Proficiencies: 2 from Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, And Persuasion.

Tool Proficiencies: Forgery Kit

Languages: Two languages important to the story (the Big Bad Evil Guy can speak it, the story takes place in an area where people mostly speak it, etc.)

Equipment: A set of common clothes, A forgery kit, A book (90% of the time it's the script),The Narration Hand (its a glove), A microphone mainly used for voice acting/podcasts (with a headset attached so you could hear what you're saying), And a pouch containing (the amount of coins on you at this time (if you have less than 2 coins just change the number up to 2))d4 GP.

Feature: Bodied Voice

Your character is the narrator, but they don't just narrate in front of everybody! Whenever Narration is needed, one snap of the narration hand, and your character will shrink down to half the size of a pebble (and you are disguised as a pebble), and activate the Narrator Zone. HOWEVER! do be warned, as everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) you say while in this form becomes the truth, if something is said wrong it must be specified or else it will come true how you said it.

Alternate Feature: Cliché Twist

Have the narrator pop in from time to time as an actual character inside the Narrator Zone (never appearing outside of the zone) and even talk directly to the players sometimes, dropping subtle similarities in how the narrator and Big Bad Evil Guy act and look, until near the end when they walk into the room of the Big Bad Evil Guy, and its then revealed that the Narrator is the Big Bad Evil Guy, and has been leading you to your own death.

Suggested Characteristics

d6	Personality Trait
1	"It seems your fate rests in my, tiny, hands."
2	"(character name) smiled at them and wanted to die."
3	"I've seen everything that has, will, and could've happened, and yet, what the hell is this?"
4	"I tend to use knowing what will happen to run a fortune teller job, it's a well paying job when what you say actually comes true."
5	"I don't know why I have this power, but all I know is I can change everything with it!"
6	reroll the die (I ran out of ideas sorry)

d6	Ideal
1	Destiny. "I have a strict script to follow, if it says you die then you die I don't make the rules" (Lawful)
2	Entertainment. "Just because your the main character doesn't mean I have to let you live" (Evil)
3	Variety. "Narrators can write whatever they want and people have mainly using it for FAIRY TALES? (Chaotic)
4	Kindness. "Just because he's cruel doesn't mean his death should be cruel" (Good)
5	Chaos. "I don't need a script, just leap into the darkness and hope for the best (True Neutral)
6	Uhhh... "It seems you've run out of options, and so did whoever is writing this" (choose yourself/reroll)

d4	Bond
1	"I tend to not try to get into any relationships, since I know the exact moment anyone could die."
2	"I try to lay low, since if anyone finds out about my power, I'll never have a moment without someone asking me about the future."
3	"I usually end up forgetting I'm the narrator, so whenever someone asks a question whoever they asked kind of just stares blankly until I remember that I have to narrate."
4	"I couldn't care less about anyone I meet, they're all just pawns to me."

d6	Flaw
1	"I tend to act like I'm a god, mainly because I am, after all I'm the one continuing everyone's tale, I can end all them with the flick of a pen."
2	"whenever someone dies, I feel like the blood is on my hands, since I can change the script, but I didn't and let them die."
3	"You have to be good at reading to be a narrator, and apparently knowing cursive was one of the requirements, why they still let me do it? I don't know."
4	"Whenever someone dies I always feel like I have the blood on my hands, so I'm usually always really guilty."
5	"I'm always scared of getting stepped on when I'm smaller and narrating, even though I can just write that I don't."
6	"I'm very overprotective of the script and all my equipment, someone could just take it and rewrite the whole universe!"

4.67

(3 votes)

Narrator Zone

The Narrator Zone is similar to Luigi's Negative Zone, in the sense that its not an actual area. The narrator zone is the small pebble you are disguised as when you shrink down, (this is where that recording equipment comes in) and that is where you do your narration.

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This page may resemble content endorsed by, sponsored by, and/or affiliated with the Epithet Erased franchise, and/or include content directly affiliated with and/or owned by Brendan Blaber / Jellopocalypse. D&D Wiki neither claims nor implies any rights to Epithet Erased copyrights, trademarks, or logos, nor any owned by Brendan Blaber / Jellopocalypse. This site is for non profit use only. Furthermore, the following content is a derivative work that falls under, and the use of which is protected by, the Fair Use designation of US Copyright and Trademark Law. We ask you to please add the {{needsadmin}} template if there is a violation to this disclaimer within this page.