When creating a character for the Shattered Realm, there are no set backgrounds. Where you come from or what you do should be detailed in your backstory, and should be taken into consideration when choosing your Backstory Benefits. Instead of having a set Background that feels a bit "cookie-cutter", players are inspired to create their own backgrounds, and adopt benefits to that background that feel right for that character. Background benefits and choices are detailed here. <br> ___ ### Skills It's one thing to be dexterous, but another altogether to be able to perform acrobatic stunts. It's one thing to be intelligent, and another to be able to recall historical facts from centuries past. Skills are an important part of what makes a character, and you get to choose two to have proficiency in as part of your backstory. When choosing your two [[Abilities & Skills#Skills|skill proficiencies]] as part of your background, make sure you haven't taken any that overlap with another feature you have that grants you skill proficiencies such as your class or species. <br> ___ ### Feat Perhaps you come by a skill naturally, or perhaps it's come after many long hours of practice. Either way, when your character starts their adventure, they begin with one Feat that reflects their backstory in some way. When choosing a feat, it must be from the list of [[Feats#Level 0 Feats|Level 0 Feats]]. If a feat has requirements, you must meet those requirements in order to take that feat. <br> ___ ### Languages and Hobbies Maybe your character spent a summer at a foreign school and had to pick up another language to get by. Or perhaps your character needed to learn a trade that later turned into a passion. Languages and Hobbies are important when rounding out a character. When deciding between [[Languages|languages]] and [[Adventuring Gear#Hobby Kits 📌|hobbies]], choose one of the following options: - One [[Languages#Common Languages|common language]] or [[Languages#Dialects|dialect]] and one [[Languages#Uncommon Languages|uncommon language]]. - One [[Languages#Common Languages|common language]] or [[Languages#Dialects|dialect]] and proficiency with one [[Adventuring Gear#Hobby Kits|hobby]]. - Proficiency with two [[Adventuring Gear#Hobby Kits|hobbies]]. When choosing your [[Languages|languages]] and [[Adventuring Gear#Hobby Kits|hobbies]] as part of your background, make sure you haven't taken any that overlap with any other feature provided by your class or species. <br> ##### Vehicles There are as well as number of vehicles now used to get across the Shattered Realm. While there are many different types, every vehicle falls into one of three categories. Spacefaring, Hovercraft and Submersible. If it makes sense for your character to know how to pilot a vehicle, you may replace proficiency with any [[#Languages and Hobbies|hobby]] you could learn, for proficiency with one of the vehicle types. If you have proficiency with a certain kind of vehicle, you can add your proficiency bonus to any check you make to control that kind of vehicle in difficult circumstances. <br> ###### Spacefaring > Spacefaring vehicles (usually Skiffs) are short-ranged vessels capable of flight. They are most often used to travel between fragments. <br> ###### Hovercraft > Hovercraft vehicles are smaller, more pedestrian vehicles used for fast transport across a fragment. They are capable of hovering over land and water. <br> ###### Submersible > Submersible vehicles are less common that Spacefaring and Hovercraft vehicles, but are nonetheless vital in some locations. Submersibles are capable of delving into locations that some species may not otherwise be able to traverse.