Retired Performer (5e Background)
Retired Performer[edit]
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| A street performer dancing in front of a crowd. |
You were once a (probably) very famous performer, but you have since retired due to unforeseen circumstances. Whatever it was that had happened to you, you have since stopped performing and started on a new path in your life.
Skill Proficiencies: You are proficient in two of the following skills: Athletics, Deception, Performance, Persuasion, or Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: 1 artisan's tool or 1 musical instrument of your choice.
Languages: One Language of your choice.
Equipment: Some common clothes, 1 artisan's tool or 1 musical instrument of your choice, an item from when you were originally a performer (see below), and a small pouch containing 15 gp.
Performing Origins[edit]
We all know you were once a performer, but what was it that you specialized in when you performed? Why were you known for being a great performer?
| d6 | Specialization |
|---|---|
| 1 | Play/Stage Performance (masquerade mask) |
| 2 | Musician (sheet music for your instrument) |
| 3 | Magician (one of those plastic magician wands) |
| 4 | Professional Dancer/Acrobat (a set of dancer shoes) |
| 5 | Street Performer (a hat for people to put money into) |
| 6 | reroll (I ran out of ideas) |
Feature: Lingering Fame[edit]
Being a retired performer, it's safe to assume many people will know who you are, so it'll be hard to hide in a crowd of people and just go unnoticed. You can try and convince people it's just a coincidence, or you can accept the fame and whatever comes with it.
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
We know that you're retired, what you performed in, but not why you retired, and how it's affected you. Were you forced to retire? Did you retire by choice? Did some horrible accident make you retire? What had happened? And where are you now?
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I used to always wanted to be a performer... until I became one." |
| 2 | "It's fine, I didn't want to be a performer anyways." (lie) |
| 3 | "It's fine, I didn't want to be a performer anyways." (truth) |
| 4 | "My fame was taken from me too soon." |
| 5 | "I didn't want to stop performing, but it's probably for the best considering what happened." |
| 6 | reroll. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Trickery. "I may not be a performer anymore, but I can still use what I have learned" (Chaotic Neutral) |
| 2 | Resurgence. "I stopped too soon, and I'm going to perform again no matter what." (Lawful Neutral) |
| 3 | Tranquility. "Ever since I retired I've just wanted people to stop asking me about when I did perform." (True Neutral) |
| 4 | Revenge. "They cast me into the shadows, and they'll pay for what they've done." (Neutral Evil) |
| 5 | Greed. "My performing career may have been stopped, but I can still use those abilities to make a quick buck." (Chaotic Good) |
| 6 | Reroll. |
| d4 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I gave up on performing to pursue my real dreams." |
| 2 | "I may not be a performer anymore, but the time that I was will always be special to me." |
| 3 | "I miss the friends that I made while performing, but I already made up my mind on leaving." |
| 4 | "I didn't like performing when I was doing it, why would I like it now?" |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | "My career is already over, I don't know why I'm still trying to get back out there..." |
| 2 | "Everything I've done is why I am where I am today, and I regret all of it!" |
| 3 | "I quit performing years ago, yet I still feel like I made the wrong choice." |
| 4 | "My performances got the attention of some people who I'd much rather have not knowing who I am." |
| 5 | "Don't you know who I am? I used to be famous and I think you should treat me with some more respect!" |
| 6 | "No... no I can't perform ever again, not since... the incident." |
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