AnyBlack Sheep [Link]Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 330
You were born and raised in town. You know many of the region’s secrets and the locals already know who you are. You aren’t quite hated in town, but folk seem to think you’re a troublemaker and a bastard and not to be trusted. The town’s tougher folk respect you, but the law-abiding citizens don’t. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is a class skill for you. In addition, you can choose any one notorious citizen from below as an ally; depending on the person you pick, you’ll get different benefits.
Apothecary: Everyone suspects the sweaty, shifty-eyed apothecary sells poisons from his cluttered, acrid smelling wreck of a shop. You’re one of the few in town who know this for a fact. You start the game with 400 gp worth of poison, and the apothecary will continue to sell you poison as long as you don’t spread the word.
Bitter Nobleman: A local unscrupulous family was hit hard recently, revealing criminal ties that damaged its reputation as well. One noble is eager to rebuild his presence in town, and you’re one of the ones he’s selected as an agent. Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. Your work for the family gives you a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
Favored Son/Daughter [Link]Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 330
You were born and raised in the town of Sandpoint or its surrounding farms. You know many of the region’s secrets, and the locals already know who you are. You are well liked in town, and you’ll have lots of friends in the region, but the town’s tougher side sees you as a snitch or a pansy. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you. In addition, you can choose any one law-abiding citizen of Sandpoint from below as an ally; depending on the person you pick, you’ll get different benefits.
Tavern Owner: One of the town’s most influential and beloved nobles. Her inn/tavern is the most popular in town, and as one of her friends, you’re guaranteed a place to eat and sleep for free. She’s got lots of great contacts with merchants as well, and she’ll sell any of your loot for you—as a result, you gain an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Sheriff: The no nonsense arm of the law, is like the uncle you never had. The benefits of being close friends with the town sheriff are extensive, and you can call in favors from him once per game session. A favor can either get you out of a legal jam, hook you up with a town guard for help, or give you a one-time +10 bonus on a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check made against any local person.
Outlander [Link]Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 331
You are not from town; you’ve recently come from somewhere else and are hoping to make your fortune here. Pick one of the following reasons to be a newcomer to the area.
Lore Seeker: The secrets of an ancient fallen civilization intrigue you, particularly the magical traditions of its highly mystical culture. You’ve studied magic intensely, and hope to increase that knowledge by adding ancient lore. You’ve come to the region to pursue that study, and chose the town as your base because it was out of the way of bigger cities—meaning less competition to study the ancient monuments in the region, you hope! You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks, and Knowledge (arcana) is a class skill for you. If you cast arcane spells, pick three spells on your spell list. You are particularly adept at casting these spells, so they function at +1 caster level when you cast them, and their save DCs (if any) gain a +1 bonus.
Exile: For whatever reason, you were forced to flee your homeland. Chance or fate has brought you to twon, and it’s here that your money ran out, leaving you stranded in this small town. You are also being pursued by enemies from your homeland, and that has made you paranoid and quick to react to danger. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Missionary: You have come to town to see about expanding the presence of your chosen faith after receiving visions that told you your faith is needed in the region—what that need is, though, you’re not quite sure. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks, and Knowledge (religion) is a class skill for you. If you cast divine spells, pick three spells on your spell list. You are particularly adept at casting these spells, so they function at +1 caster level when you cast them, and their save DCs (if any) gain a +1 bonus.
Carrion CrownChance Savior [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
Fate smiled on you and Professor Lorrimor one day in the not so distant past. Through a matter of pure chance, you were in a position to save the late scholar’s life and did so. His gratitude was effusive, and he promised that he would never forget you. You are unsure of the nature of the summons in his will, but believe he may have listed you as a possible heir in thanks for saving him from an untimely demise.
Your ability to think quickly on your feet has stayed with you, and you quite often feel that you’re in the right place at the right time. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Inspired by Greatness [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
Whether you knew Professor Lorrimor well or only in passing, as a colleague or competitor, his career and lifetime of discovery inspired you to be better at what you do. As you honed your craft, you and the professor corresponded, and he was delighted to hear that he had directly or indirectly motivated you to strive for your full potential. Saddened by the news of his death, you feel that you should honor his memory by fulfilling his final wishes and attending his funeral, and by ever striving to attain greater heights and someday match the influence and impact of your idol.
Choose one spell you can cast. From now on, you always cast this spell at +1 caster level.
Making Good on Promises [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
At some point in the past, Professor Lorrimor did you a favor under the condition that he would someday call on you to repay it. After he came to your aid, however, you never saw nor heard from him again, leaving you with a sense of unending anticipation that each day might be the day you were asked to return the favor. Yet that day never came, and your fears and anxiety about what the professor would call on you to do abated. Assuming the old man had either forgotten about you or died, you eventually assumed you’d never have to follow through on your end of the bargain. When you received word of the professor’s death, and that he had named you specifically in his will, your dread of what he could possibly want from you has grown throughout your entire journey to Ravengro.
Years of living with the fear and uncertainty of the unclaimed debt to Professor Lorrimor have inured you to extreme anxiety. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against fear effects.
On the Payroll [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
Whether he needed a bodyguard in a rough neighborhood, a guide to an isolated archeological dig, or information on a specialized topic, Professor Lorrimor was never shy about hiring professionals to help him attain his goals. Over the course of his long career, thousands of people throughout the world served his needs and benefited from his generous wages (usually covered by his academic benefactor at the time). He had contacts in most areas of expertise in every corner of the known world, a knack for recognizing talent, and a desire to be surrounded by the best and brightest at all times. Whatever job the professor originally hired you for, your performance captured his attention, and he hired you many times throughout your career, sometimes even for jobs away from your home, always paying your expenses and compensating you well for your time. In your area of expertise, you are among the best.
Your years of hard work have paid off, granting you an additional 150 gp in starting wealth.
Subject of Study [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
Professor Lorrimor approached you as part of his studies, as he had heard that you had survived a recent encounter with a strange monster or had another fateful encounter. Interested in the conditions of the runin and the means by which you avoided death or injury, he met with you and maintained frequent correspondence until several months ago. The scars of your experience and his continual reminders of the encounter prompted you to hone your skills lest you someday face the same type of creature again. The professor assisted you in this endeavor, providing you with insight into the anatomy and defenses of the creature that attacked you.
Years of study have improved your combat effectiveness against your chosen foe. Choose a non-humanoid creature type (and subtype if outsider). You gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls against creatures of this type. See the ranger favored enemy suggestions for a list of creature types most likely to appear in this campaign.
Teacher's Pet [Link]Source Carrion Crown Player's Guide pg. 12
Professor Lorrimor traveled the Inner Sea region lecturing and teaching at universities in locations as far-flung as Manaket and Magnimar, and as different in scope as the bardic colleges of Taldor and the battle colleges of the River Kingdoms. Speaking before standing-room-only lecture halls on topics as widely ranging as military strategy, planar anomalies, theology, and agriculture, Lorrimor’s time was highly valued among those ambitious to benefit from his expertise. Despite this, he still managed to provide one-on-one assistance to the most promising of his acolytes. When he saw the potential for greatness in one of his charges, he took it upon himself to nurture their spark. You were such a student. Over the course of several months, you and the late professor spent hours debating the finer points of your topic of interest, and the intellectual doors he opened for you continue to flavor your outlook on the world.
You gain a +2 trait bonus to one Knowledge skill of your choosing and consider it a class skill.
Council of ThievesChild of Infamy [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 8
Your family has long been in show business. Perhaps it was your parents, or an older sibling, or an uncle or aunt—whatever the case, one of your close relatives is, or was, a well-known and well-loved actor or actress. That this relation died in some compromising and embarrassing way has done little to alter your family’s name and fame—if anything, the unfortunate death has increased it. When folk learn your last name, they are quick to assume you live a wild life like your ill-fated relative, and whether you bask in this notoriety or do your best to hide your heritage, the years of association with the acting scene have had their effect. You’ve certainly inherited your relative’s talents, and are a larger-than-life figure, a melodramatic attention-hound, or a sly manipulator of emotions. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) skill checks, and the skill is always considered a class skill for you. Furthermore, you’ve inherited some of your relative’s funds, and begin play with a nest egg of 300 gp that you can spend however you wish.
Conspiracy Hunter [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
You’ve long heard rumors of dark deeds afoot in Westcrown. Shipments of valuable cargo that go missing with nary a trace or question asked. People who disappear as though they never existed. Lords of business and nobles who speak in veiled references and accidental slips of masters even they must obey. What lords rule the Westcrown underworld? Do the tales of far-reaching criminal organizations hold a hint of truth? Could the fabled Council of Thieves, said to have been purged from the city ages ago, have somehow survived or reformed? And what hold do they hold over the city today? You don’t know, but you’re determined to find out! Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Perception, Sense Motive, or Stealth. You gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill and it is always considered a class skill for you.
Diabolist Raised [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
All your life you’ve lived within the grip of devil-possessed Cheliax. You care little for the religion of your country, but that is the way of life in the most magnificent empire in the world, and who are you to question the faith of the empire’s rulers? Certainly not a fool like some of your more idealistic acquaintances, possessed of bizarre ideals about personal freedoms and egalitarian rulership—who can say whatever happened to them? You know of Hell and the rigidity of its grim rulers, you’ve seen devils and how they might be employed to the betterment of those with the might to control them, and you know of the dark faith of your country. You might not be a devil worshiper yourself, but there are realities to living in Cheliax, and it’s always good to know what’s really going on behind the scenes. Your knowledge of diabolism grants you a +1 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks made against Westcrown’s nobility, and a +1 bonus on all saving throws made against mindaffecting attacks from devils.
Infernal Bastard [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
You are a tiefling. You might be an escaped slave, a hidden shame, or a homeless vagabond, but whatever your upbringing, life has been particularly hard on you. You have suffered greatly, nearly starving to death one winter, nearly being beaten to death by racist sailors one summer, and so on. Whether or not these experiences have made you a bitter and cynical scoundrel or a pious and hopeful optimist is up to you, but one thing is certain—you are something less than even your tiefling kin. Perhaps it is a result of your hard life, or perhaps it is due to some fault in your fiendish heritage, but you lack a tiefling’s standard resistances to cold, electricity, and fire—instead, you merely have a +2 bonus on all saving throws made against these effects. Likewise, you do not have the ability to use darkness as a spell-like ability once per day—instead, you may choose any one 0-level spell that you can instead use at will as a spell-like ability.
Shadow Child [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
Westcrown has long suffered under a peculiar curse, a blight that rises every night, bringing with it fell beasts that hunt the shadows. No one can say from whence these night-horrors come—though some blame the mysterious wizards of Nidal, other claim that it’s some curse laid by fallen Aroden, while still others suggest some shadowy mastermind manipulates an ebon brood from the depths of Westcrown’s northern ruins. Whatever the case, the people of Westcrown have long feared the night, but not you. You’re goal is to reclaim the darkness from the beasts that hide within. You’ve acclimated yourself to the dark, and thus act with greater precision in the shadow than most. When attacking targets in areas of dim light, you do not suffer the standard 20% miss chance on attack rolls for being in the poorly lit area.
The Pathfinder's Exile [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
Westcrown’s dilapidated Pathfinder lodge of Delvehaven has long excited your imagination. Forcibly closed by the order of the city’s diabolical rulers, the Pathfinders of Westcrown were exiled, forcing them to leave behind untold knowledge and the treasures of countless expeditions. Today, Delvehaven lies under the pale of fearful rumors and dark magic, and bureaucratic red tape has prevented trespass on the lodge’s well-protected grounds. Having secretly and illegally contacted agents of the Pathfinders, you’ve expressed your interest in aiding their ventures in Cheliax—with a particular eye toward investigating Delvehaven, the source of your long-standing adventuresome interests. To your surprise, some days ago you received a message back from an unnamed Pathfinder operating underground in the country. Along with encouraging you to investigate the lodge and report your findings to the Grand Lodge in Absalom, he’s sent along a battered and tarnished, yet still functional wayfinder. You’ve promised yourself to pay back your unknown contact the 500 gp cost of the item someday, but until then, it’s yours to use. A wayfinder is a magical compass that grants you a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost, and can be commanded to emit light as the spell (CL 5th) as a standard action. Further details on the Pathfinder Society and wayfinders can be found in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting or Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets.
Westcrown Firebrand [Link]Source Council of Thieves Player's Guide pg. 9
There’s something very wrong with the world. Spouses were not meant to huddle at their windows hoping and fearing day after day that their loved ones returned from work safely. Parents were not meant to hush their children when questioned about what happened to their neighbors. Citizens were not meant to avert their eyes and hurry by as guardsmen beat old friends in the street. The people of Westcrown have suffered long enough! It’s time for a change. But how? You’ve heard rumors of bands of free-thinking individuals meeting after the citywide curfew. Perhaps they might share your ideals? You are quick to react to opportunity, both physically and mentally, and know that it is with sudden and swift action that many conflicts are best resolved. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks, and if you act in a surprise round, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls.
Curse of the Crimson ThroneBetrayed [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 8
You were hardly a model citizen as a child or young adult. Your reasons for turning to a life of crime may be varied, but what matters is that you eventually fell in with a certain well-connected and notorious crime lord named Gaedren Lamm. His reputation as a snake and a treacherous scoundrel was known to you, but for reasons of your own, you chose not to turn him down when he offered you a chance to work for him. You may have assumed you were an exception, or that you’d be able to handle him, or perhaps even planned to betray him. As it worked out, though, Gaedren got the upper hand and took you down you first. You may have served time in jail, may have been beaten by his thugs and left for dead, or could simply have had your profits stolen out from under you. Whatever the cause, Gaedren wronged you, and you are eager for the chance to get revenge.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Hungry for Revenge: You’ve never forgiven Gaedren for his betrayal, and have vowed to make him pay for what he did. Whether that’s seeing him rot in jail or a shallow grave, you hope to taste vengeance someday. Whenever you deal damage with a melee weapon on a creature that is flat-footed, you gain a +1 trait bonus on the damage roll.
Reformed Criminal: You’ve given up the life of crime, and managed to talk your way out of any repercussions such as jail time or fines. You’ve told yourself that you would rather leave your past behind, yet the concept of seeing Gaedren Lamm pay for his crimes still appeals to you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is a class skill for you.
Dockside Avenger [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 28
No crime is too despicable for Gaedren Lamm and his thugs—a gang of lowlife murderers, kidnappers, and drug dealers that operate in Korvosa’s Midland district. You’ve lost someone to Lamm and now you’re out for revenge. While Lamm remains alive and free, you are not slain until your hit point total reaches a negative number equal to your Constitution score + 3. Once Lamm is imprisoned or killed, you lose the former benefit but gain 3 permanent hit points.
Drug Addict [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 8, Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide pg. 15
Someone you know has become addicted to shiver, a drug distilled from the venom of tropical arachnids known as dream spiders. The drug induces sleep filled with vivid dreams, during which the user’s body shakes and shivers, giving the substance its street name. You’ve always thought of shiver as a problem of the lower class, but then someone you know overdosed on the stuff. You’ve done a bit of investigating and have learned that the villain who got your friend addicted in the first place was a crime lord named Gaedren Lamm. Unfortunately, the guards seem to be focused on the bigger dealers. They don’t have time to devote many resources to what they’ve called “a bit player in a beggar’s problem.” It would seem that if Gaedren’s operation is to be stopped, it falls to you.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Addicted Friend: The addict is a friend or lover who might or might not have survived the overdose. Your research into the drug scene and local politics has given you a respectable education in street knowledge. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is a class skill for you.
Personal Addiction: You were the addict. You blame Gaedren for your brush with death and hate how his drugs are causing similar problems among other youths. Fortunately, your body recovers quickly from toxins, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws.
Framed [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 8, Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide pg. 15
Someone you know and love was accused of murder. A supposed eyewitness account from a local fisherman seemed to be enough to seal the case, but the accused had enough alibis that sentencing wasn’t immediate. Someone confronted the fisherman and discovered he was intimidated into providing false witness and forced into planting the murder weapon by the actual murderer—a local crime lord named Gaedren Lamm, whose thugs killed the fisherman before he could recant his testimony. Although this removed the key witness and resulted in the accused being set free, the stigma was enough to badly damage the accused’s reputation. If you can find Gaedren, you’re sure you can find evidence that ties him to the murder and can clear the accused’s name.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Dropout: You were the one accused of the murder. Although you were eventually freed when a friend confronted the fisherman and got the truth, the damage had been done. You were forced to leave your school or church. As a result, you were forced to self-train and promised yourself you would become better at your chosen profession despite the spurning of your peers. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks, and Spellcraft is a class skill for you.
Family Honor: The person who was framed was a family member, perhaps a father or sister. You managed to trick the fisherman into revealing the truth with your skilled tongue. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is a class skill for you.
Love Lost [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 8, Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide pg. 15
Someone you loved was knifed to death in a dark alley one night. You were called to the scene by the Korvosan Guard to identify the body, and as rough as that was for you, you also noticed a ring was missing from your loved one’s finger. Whoever murdered your loved one stole that ring— you’re convinced of it. You’ve done some investigation on your own and recently found the ring for sale at a local merchant’s shop. To your great frustration, you can’t yet afford the 500 gp to buy it back, but the merchant did tell you from whom he purchased the ring: a man named Gaedren Lamm. It seems likely this criminal killed your loved one, or at the very least, he knows who did. The only problem is finding him.
Choose one of the following benefits.
All Alone: The murder victim was a lover. With your lover’s death, a part of you died as well, leaving you haunted, grim, and prone to dark musings. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is a class skill for you.
Orphaned: The murder victim was your only surviving parent. You had to work hard to make ends meet for yourself and any siblings, and often had to scavenge for food. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Survival checks, and Survival is a class skill for you.
Missing Child [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 9, Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide pg. 15
You suspect that a child you know has been abducted by Gaedren Lamm. Whatever the relationship, you’ve heard rumors about “Lamm’s Lambs,” and of how the old man uses children as pickpockets and agents for his crimes. You’ve even heard rumors that the child you’re looking for has been spotted in the marketplaces in the company of known cutpurses and pickpockets. Although the Korvosan Guard has been understanding of your plight, it has its hands full with “more important” matters these days, it seems, and has not yet been able to learn anything more about Gaedren. No one else is interested in bringing Gaedren down and rescuing his victims— that task falls to you. Yet where could the old scoundrel be hiding?
Choose one of the following benefits.
Missing Sibling: The missing child is a brother or sister. Although everyone else has given up hope, you believe your sibling still lives. Your constant search for the missing sibling has developed into great skill at rumormongering and finding out information from others. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you.
Missing Son or Daughter: The missing child is your own son or daughter, a niece or nephew, or a child you were charged with protecting. The child was abducted during a trip to the market or other daily event. Your stubbornness and long hours spent searching for rumors grant you a +1 trait bonus on Will saves.
Unhappy Childhood [Link]Source Curse of the Crimson Throne (PFRPG) pg. 9, Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide pg. 15
You spent a period of time as one of Gaedren Lamm’s enslaved orphans, doing all manner of dirty work for him. Maybe you were abducted from your parent’s home or during a trip to the market. Perhaps the irresponsible matron who ruled your orphanage traded you to him in return for a desperately needed financial loan. Or perhaps you, like most of Gaedren’s slaves, were merely a child of the street who succumbed to his promise of regular meals and a roof in return for what he said would be “a little light work.” Whatever the case, you spent several years of your life as one of “Lamm’s Lambs” before escaping. You’ve nursed a grudge against the old man ever since.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Religious: Today, while on a job for Gaedren, you found a holy symbol of the god you worship, and intrigued by it, you snuck off to attend services. When Gaedren found out, he beat you to within an inch of your life and broke your holy symbol. Your faith let you block out the pain, and you escaped his control and took shelter in the church, where you spent the rest of your youth. You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks and Constitution checks to stabilize at negative hit points.
Torturedv: After you made one too many errors, Gaedren tortured you and left you for dead in a garbage heap. Your scars and memories have motivated you to hone your reaction speed and make you rather jumpy. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves.
Varisian Immunity [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 28
Your family is particularly hearty, and has even passed down tales of a Varisian ancestor who sought to cure (or, some loose-lipped relatives say, create) diseases. You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws made to resist diseases. Additionally, you are immune to the diseases Vorel’s phage and blood veil. You do not need to be of the Varisian ethnicity to take this campaign trait, but if you’re not, your background should explain how you have a Varisian ancestor.
GiantslayerArtifact Hunter (GS) [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 30
You’ve always had an interest in magic, but you’re fascinated with those legendary magic items known as artifacts. You’ve spent years researching these mythical relics and committed the stories and legends about them to memory, making you something of an expert on the subject. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items and a +1 trait bonus on Use Magic Device checks, and one of these skills (your choice) becomes a class skill for you. In addition, whenever you first encounter an artifact, there is a 50% chance (+1% per level) that you recognize the artifact and know its name, origin, and something of that artifact’s powers, abilities, or dangers. Exactly how much knowledge you possess is left to the GM’s discretion.
Dragonfoe [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 30
You’ve always hated dragons. Perhaps one of your ancestors was a well-known dragonslayer, or a rampaging dragon killed your family or friends. Maybe the stories you grew up hearing about knights rescuing captive princes and princesses from the clutches of evil dragons inspired you to slay dragons. Whatever the reason for your obsession, it has driven you to study how to fight dragons and defend yourself against their fearsome attacks. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC against creatures with the dragon type and a +2 trait bonus on Reflex saves against breath weapon attacks.
Dwarf-Trained [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 30
Dwarves are well acquainted with the threats posed by giants and orcs, and they have spent centuries honing their techniques for fighting these foes. You have trained with the dwarves and have learned some of the tactics they use against their hated enemies. You gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against creatures with the giant subtype (this does not stack with the bonus granted by the defensive training racial trait of dwarves and gnomes) and a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against creatures with the orc subtype (this does not stack with the bonus granted by the dwarf hatred racial trait). Dwarves and gnomes can’t choose this trait.
Giant-Blooded [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
Your family has always been dogged by rumors that a bit of giant blood got into the family’s veins at some point. Whether this was through alchemical or magical experimentation, or because your great-great-grandfather married a giant, it has made you big for your race, and may have given you other minor cosmetic features of giants, such as flaming red hair, a bluish tinge to your skin, or oversized hands. When you wield a weapon that is larger than your size, the penalty on attack rolls for using inappropriately sized weapons is reduced by half. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus to your CMD against awesome blow combat maneuvers. If you’re a dwarf, your stability racial trait applies to awesome blow combat maneuvers as well.
Giantslayer Scion [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You grew up listening to tales of a famed ancestor’s mighty battles against giant foes. Just the mention of your ancestor’s name is enough to strike fear into the heart of the most stalwart giant warrior, and you’ve resolved to follow in your forebear’s footsteps. You take no penalty on Intimidate checks against creatures with the giant subtype that are larger than you, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to the DC of any fear-based effect you use against a creature with the giant subtype.
Orphaned by Giants [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You grew up in a tranquil, happy home near the mountains, but that peace was shattered when giants came down from the mountains to raid your settlement. The giants killed your parents and left you a young orphan, and since that day, you’ve sworn to avenge the deaths of your kin. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against creatures with the giant subtype, and a +2 trait bonus on rolls to confirm critical hits against creatures with the giant subtype.
Roll With It [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 6, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You’ve trained with some of the best giantslayers out there, and have learned how to avoid the worst effects of a giant’s powerful attacks. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves. In addition, once per day, when a creature with the giant subtype successfully confirms a critical hit against you with a weapon or a slam attack (not a spell or special ability), you can roll with the attack. You take normal damage from the blow, as if the critical had not been confirmed. You must be aware of the attack and able to react to it—if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, you can’t use this ability. If you are a dwarf or a gnome, you can use this ability twice per day.
Student of Giantkind [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 7, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You’ve always been fascinated by the giant races, and have devoted a considerable amount of time to studying their history and societies, gaining insight into the way they think and use their abilities. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks against creatures with the giant subtype and a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks regarding creatures with the giant subtype, and one of these skills (your choice) becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you know the Giant language (this does not count toward your number of languages).
Trunau Native [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 7, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You were born and raised in the town of Trunau, one of the few human settlements in the orc-dominated Hold of Belkzen. Orc attacks are an ever-present threat, and like all Trunauans, you have made the Standing Vow: to hold Trunau against all attackers, orc or otherwise, to stand your ground, and to live free or die trying. Upon coming of age, you were given a hopeknife—a small, sheathed dagger, usually worn on a chain under your clothes—and taught how to use it to take your own life to avoid capture by orcs, or to grant the mercy of a quick death to the wounded. As a native, you have served in Trunau’s militia, and fought alongside Patrol Captains Kurst and Rodrik Grath. You begin play with a hopeknife (a masterwork dagger), and your tenacity in the face of adversity grants you a +1 trait bonus on Will saves.
Vexing Defender [Link]Source Giantslayer Player's Guide pg. 7, Giant Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You’re trained in fighting opponents that are larger than you, and you are skilled at keeping them on their toes, pestering them from all directions. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks, and Acrobatics becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +4 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks to move through an enemy’s space without provoking an attack of opportunity, provided that enemy is larger than you.
Hell’s RebelsChild of Kintargo [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 10
You had the fortune (or perhaps the misfortune, depending on your viewpoint) to be born into one of Kintargo’s noble families. Your experience growing up among the city’s well-to-do has given you an upper hand when it comes to knowledge of high society, and you start the game with a modest inheritance. With the new situation in Kintargo brewing, there is much concern about an eventual restructuring of the city’s nobility. Already, one noble estate has burned to the ground under what can best be described as suspicious circumstances, but whether the government or rebels were responsible depends on whom you ask. With this trait, the assumption is that you belong to a minor noble family (and can make up your family name). In this case, your family keeps a small manor in the Greens. If you want to be a member of one of Kintargo’s major noble families, you must take the Noble Scion feat at 1st level.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nobility) checks, and Knowledge (nobility) is always a class skill for you. The Noble Scion feat (see the sidebar on page 11) does not have a Charisma prerequisite for you. In addition, you start play with a noble’s outfit, a signet ring, and a single additional nonmagical item worth no more than 200 gp. If you take the Noble Scion feat, your last name is probably Aulamaxa, Aulorian, Delronge, Jarvis, Jhaltero, Sarini, Tanessen, or Vashnarstill; if you’re not human, you were adopted into the family. If you don’t take this feat, you can make up your last name.
Diva in Training [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 10
The opera is perhaps the most important and prestigious form of entertainment offered in Kintargo, and the Kintargo Opera House is among the most famous of its kind. You’re hardly a superstar among the performers who’ve graced the stage there, but you have performed several times before in small parts. Just recently, you got your big break—you’d won a role in the infamous opera Huntress of Heroes, and had been studying for the role furiously before the onset of martial law dashed your plans to the dirt. Now that the Kintargo Opera House has been claimed by Barzillai Thrune, all shows have been canceled and your chance at success seems to have been lost. Yet you can’t lose hope. You still practice your skills, and some day, perhaps the Kintargo Opera House will open its doors again, at which point you intend to be center stage!
Choose one type of Perform skill. You gain a +1 trait bonus in that specific Perform skill, and all Perform skills are class skills for you. You also increase the save DCs of all language-dependent spells and effects you create by 1.
Ex-Asmodean [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 10
You, or perhaps your family, were once worshipers of Asmodeus, but something happened that made you lose your faith. Perhaps your family was asked to give up something dear as a sacrifice, such as the life of a newly born brother or sister. Maybe the church used your family as a scapegoat to cover up a crime someone higher in the church committed. Or perhaps you simply met someone who opened your eyes and showed you the truth—that Asmodeus does not care for his followers, and that the deity of your new religion does. In any event, you left the church, and as a result, your family was punished; they were either put in prison, exiled from Kintargo, or perhaps even executed. Ever since, you’ve vowed to some day get revenge against the church.
Choose one: you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls or you gain a +1 trait bonus on the save DCs of your spells against agents of House Thrune and worshipers of Asmodeus, including most (but not all) devils.
Fed-Up Citizen [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 10
Kintargo is a tough place to live if you count yourself as a law-abiding citizen. While you likely agree with most others of Kintargo that many of the laws put in place by House Thrune seem excessive, you always respected the law and honored it as best you could. You likely worship a deity such as Abadar or Iomedae —a lawful neutral or perhaps lawful good power allowed to practice within Cheliax, but only under restrictions. Yet despite this, Thrune has always made Cheliax a safer place to live. But with recent events, enough is enough. As much as it pains you to admit, the law of the land is now manifestly and obviously not correct, and something must be done to oppose this misuse of power. If that means aligning yourself to a rebel faction such as the Silver Ravens, so be it.
Note that this trait works particularly well for paladins or other characters who wish to venerate lawful causes but still oppose the government. Your GM should be open to allowing lawful characters to perform actions out of character for someone of lawful alignment, provided the end goal is a new and better government for Kintargo, but with this feat, characters tied strongly to law (such as lawful clerics, monks, or paladins) can hide those ties in ways that help them perform as rebels without giving up their actual convictions.
You’re good at hiding your true colors and faith to avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention. You gain a +1 bonus on Disguise checks, and Disguise is always a class skill for you. In addition, when someone uses detect good or detect law on you, your effective Hit Dice are 4 lower than their actual total when someone discerns the strength of your aura. If you are a cleric, paladin, or similar divine spellcaster, you treat yourself as if you were a standard-aligned creature rather than a divine spellcaster for these purposes. This means that until you become 9th level, you won’t radiate an aura of good or law at all when someone casts one of these detection spells. Finally, your internal convictions that you’re on the actual right of law help bolster your mindset, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
Gifted Satirist [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 11
You grew up among Kintargo’s performers and entertainers. Perhaps your parents or older siblings were singers at the Kintargo Opera House, or maybe you simply had to make ends meet as an orphan of the streets by busking. Whatever the case, you’ve long been exposed to the practice of cloaking scathing political commentaries in the form of harmless entertainment. Whether you conceal your satire in the form of novels, plays, screeds, or public letters, you’ve yet to make a name for yourself as a political presence in Kintargo—but in time, you hope to change that!
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Linguistics checks, and Linguistics is always a class skill for you. In addition, your irreverent attitude grants you a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
Historian of the Rebellion [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 11
You’ve long been interested in the legacy of the Silver Ravens—a group of freedom fighters that rose to prominence in Kintargo during the Chelish Civil War. There’s frustratingly little information today about the group, and you suspect that most of what was recorded about the Silver Ravens has long since been redacted or destroyed by government agents, but you’ve managed to pick up a tidbit here and there. Most of your knowledge isn’t so much about the Silver Ravens specifically, but more about general histories of rebel groups and freedom fighters who have fought against oppressive governments throughout history, both in Cheliax and beyond.
Your familiarity with rebel groups allows you to grant a +2 bonus on an Organization check of your choice once the party reestablishes the Silver Ravens during the first adventure. You can change which check you assign this bonus to once at the start of the rebellion’s Upkeep phase. Your time preparing for joining the Silver Ravens has also honed your skill at remaining unseen. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks, and Stealth is always a class skill for you.
Natural Born Leader [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 12
Whenever you found yourself involved in a group effort in the past, be it working with siblings to handle a family emergency, conspiring with friends to orchestrate a prank, or throwing in with coworkers to take care of an unanticipated complication at work, you tended to end up in a position of leadership. It might be unclear to you why this is the case, or you might deliberately seek out such positions, knowing you can organize any group to be something greater than the sum of its parts, but your knack for managing groups has always pushed you to the front of any operation you’ve found yourself a part of.
You excel in the role of manager. You treat your Charisma score as if it were 14 (or 2 points higher than its actual score if your actual Charisma is already 14 or higher) for the purposes of determining how many teams you can manage in the rebellion, and for the purposes of determining the bonus you add to your managed teams’ actions. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus to your Leadership score if you take the Leadership feat.
Pattern Seeker [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 12
There are patterns in the world, both natural and artificial, that if only one can interpret them correctly, great secrets could be divined. You have long been fascinated by the idea of these hidden patterns, perhaps because a sibling or parent went to the grave obsessed with seeking a pattern, or maybe because you feel that you’ve uncovered a previously unknown pattern. Kintargo has a particularly unique pattern of its own; the belfry atop the Temple of Asmodeus rings at what seem to be random intervals. None know who or what rings the bells, and no true pattern by which the so-called Devil’s Bells has yet accurately predicted the tolling. Many have tried, and extensive but always incomplete documents exist that track the dates and times of recorded ringings back to the end of the Chelish Civil War, when the church of Asmodeus first claimed the abandoned temple of Aroden as their own. Maybe you will be the one to solve the pattern of the Devil’s Bells?
You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Perception checks, and Perception is always a class skill for you. In addition, you increase the save DC of any illusion (pattern) spell you cast by 1, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against illusion effects.
Star Struck [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 13
Growing up in Kintargo, it’s hard not to become obsessed with one of the city’s celebrities. There are so many to choose from, and they’re all so glamorous, rich, and successful! Wouldn’t it be amazing to, perhaps some day, meet one of them? Or even better, to be a Kintargan celebrity yourself? Your interest in one of Kintargo’s celebrities could be completely benign, with the NPC acting as a muse, inspiration, or role model for you that you used to guide many life choices leading you to this day. Or perhaps your interest is more akin to an obsession, in which you hope to some day live a life like that you imagine your idol lives, or perhaps even to some day meet and become friends (or perhaps more than friends) with your idol. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes a celebrity’s public persona and real personality are two very different things, and if some day you were to meet your idol, you might be surprised at the truth! That said, the fact that, by all accounts, your idol has been missing since House Thrune instituted martial law has you worried; you hope he or she is all right! The fact that all five of the local legends listed below have been rumored to have ties to the Silver Ravens further concerns you, considering how that group seems to have been particularly targeted by Barzillai Thrune’s agents over the past week. The fate of all five of these Kintargan icons will be revealed at some point during the Hell’s Rebels Adventure Path, but keep in mind that some of those fates might not be pleasant discoveries for you!
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks. Pick one of the following celebrities with which to be obsessed. Each celebrity is associated with a particular ability score. Once per day, you can draw on your inspiration from your icon when you are about to attempt a skill check modified by that ability score. When you do so, roll the check twice and take the better of the two results as your actual result.
Jackdaw (sex and race unknown; Intelligence): A notorious folk hero or heroine (no one seems to know if Jackdaw is a man or woman) who helped defend Kintargo during the Chelish Civil War, and whom many believe still lives on today in the city’s shadows.
Jilia Bainilus (female human; Wisdom): Kintargo’s previous lord-mayor was well known for her cutting insights into the political world. Few have fought harder to maintain Kintargo’s independence.
Octavio Sabinus (male human; Strength): The Lictor of the Hellknight Order of the Torrent might seem an odd choice for admiration, but Octavio’s physical stature certainly lent him all the support he needed to command a room.
Shensen (female half-elf; Charisma): Shensen’s performances as an outspoken force against the diabolism of House Thrune have won her nearly as many admirers as have her memorable performances on stage in the Kintargo Opera House.
Strea Vestori (female tiefling; Dexterity): Strea is often regarded as the face of the slums known as the Devil’s Nursery. As Kintargo’s most outspoken and public tiefling citizen and leader of the Cloven Hoof Society, she has nearly as many admirers as she has political enemies in Cheliax.
Urban Sleuth [Link]Source Hell's Rebels Player's Guide pg. 13
Much of Kintargo’s history is lost or hidden. You know because you’ve made a point of seeking out those secrets. Local urban legends and bits of strange historical rumors have long fascinated you—who knows what amazing truths about Kintargo’s past have been lost forever to the redactors of House Thrune? What caused Professor Mangvhune of the Alabaster Academy to become the city’s most infamous serial killer? Who were the dragons Adrakash, Ithanothaur, and Rivozair, and what were their ties to Kintargo? Why do the Devil’s Bells of the Temple of Asmodeus seem to ring at random times, and is there a pattern to the peals? Who were the Silver Ravens who defended Kintargo during the Chelish Civil War, and why did they vanish so soon after that war’s resolution? So many mysteries, and who better than you to find the answers?
Pick one of the questions above as your focus. Answers to these questions can be discovered at different points during Hell’s Rebels, but don’t expect to learn these answers any time soon! More important, your choice of focus grants you a +1 trait bonus in a particular Knowledge skill check associated with that focus (pick one of the two options provided below for your question). That Knowledge skill is always a class skill for you. Once per day, when you attempt a Knowledge skill check in either of the types associated with your focus, you can roll twice and take the better result as your actual result.
Devil’s Bells: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (planes).
Local Dragons: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (history).
Professor Mangvhune: Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (planes).
Silver Ravens: Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (history).
Hell's VengeanceAmoral Mercenary [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 11
You have always looked after yourself first, and done whatever you need to do to survive. You’ve killed before, and you’ll kill again, but you don’t lose sleep over it. If it’s you or them, you invariably choose yourself. You follow no code, unless it’s doing whatever brings you to the top. Of course, sometimes you have to work with others, and that’s fine too, as long as the pay is right—whatever it takes to get the job done. With the current unrest in Cheliax, it’s starting to look like a good deal to work with House Thrune. You know Thrune rewards those who serve it well, and there’s no one else in Cheliax who can offer the power, prestige, and money that Thrune can.
You’ve got a keen eye for what makes a good arrangement and when to walk away from a bad deal. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you. In addition, as an immediate action once per day, you can shift your effective alignment so that you are considered neutral instead of evil for the purpose of good effects that target evil creatures (such as holy smite or a paladin’s smite evil ability). Your alignment does not actually change when you use this ability. You must be neutral evil to take this trait.
Apprentice Devilbinder [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 12
It’s no secret that conjuring and binding devils is a popular pursuit in Cheliax, and you have served as an apprentice to a diabolist since a young age. Eventually, however, you decided you wanted more for yourself than a life of study and service, and when you felt you had learned all that you were likely to from your master, you struck out on your own. You know you can achieve the loftiest heights of power with the support of Hell behind you, just as you are aware you can fall to the lowest depths if you’re incautious and lose that support. You are determined to use your skills and abilities to bind Hell and its minions to your will, and to make a name for yourself as one of Cheliax’s premier devilbinders.
When you cast a summon monster spell to summon a devil or fiendish creature, the duration of that spell increases by 1 round. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on opposed Charisma checks against devils conjured with planar binding spells, and payments to devils you conjure with planar ally spells are reduced by 10%.
Asmodean Acolyte [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 12
You grew up in the church of Asmodeus, and have served as a faithful follower your entire life. You’ve studied the unholy texts, committed the rigid hierarchies of Hell to memory, and striven to eliminate emotion and mercy from your mind in emulation of the Prince of Darkness. You may have continued your career in the church, officially joining the priesthood and aspiring to advance to positions of higher authority and greater power, or you may have left the church, deciding the life of a priest was not for you. In either case, the education you received in the church has remained with you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy, Knowledge (planes), and Knowledge (religion) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you. You also know the Infernal tongue (this does not count toward your number of languages).
Chelish Noble [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 12
You had the fortune to be born into one of Cheliax’s noble families, and even more importantly, your family is one of those loyal to House Thrune. Perhaps your family has been allied with Thrune since the Chelish Civil War, or maybe Thrune granted your family its title in exchange for its support during that conflict. In any case, your experience growing up among the nation’s well-to-do has given you an upper hand when it comes to knowledge of high society, and you start the game with a modest inheritance. With the nascent uprising of the Glorious Reclamation in Cheliax, there is much concern among the aristocracy, and House Thrune needs the support of loyal nobles now more then ever.
This trait assumes you belong to a minor noble human family with a small manor or estate in some backwater of the empire. If you’re not human, either you were adopted into a noble human family, or your family was recently granted a nonhereditary noble title (see the Chelish Nobility sidebar on page 15).
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nobility) checks, and Knowledge (nobility) is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Charismabased checks against other members of the Chelish aristocracy. The Noble Scion feat does not have a Charisma prerequisite for you. Lastly, you start play with a noble’s outfit, a signet ring, and a single additional nonmagical item worth no more than 200 gp.
Erratic Malefactor [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 12
Some people follow codes and traditions; others look out for only themselves. You don’t care—you do what you want, when you want, sometimes for a good reason, and sometimes for no reason at all. You revel in your status as an outlier, and take pride in the fact that you follow no one else’s orders—at least most of the time. In a lawful land like Cheliax, one has to be more careful and at least pay lip service to the rules and restrictions of society. As a result, you try to manage the chaos that rages within your soul, but you’re always on the lookout for the opportunity to truly unleash destruction. These days, there’s plenty of work for someone who will do what needs to be done, no questions asked, and the rewards from House Thrune for those who work with it are a strong incentive as well. If working with others gives you the freedom to carry out some of your darkest instincts without fear of repercussion, then why not—at least for now. You can worry about the future when it comes.
Your unpredictability and volatile temperament gives you an advantage over your foes. You gain a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks. In addition, you are willing to work with others, and have learned to use your allies’ strengths to reinforce your own skills and abilities. Once per day, as long as an ally is within 10 feet of you, you can reroll a single attack roll or skill check before success or failure is known. You must take the results of the second roll, even if it is worse. You must be chaotic evil to take this trait.
Ex-Iomedaean [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 12
You, or perhaps your family, were once worshipers of Iomedae, but something happened that made you lose your faith. Perhaps your family was accused of being dishonorable or cowardly, or maybe one of your family members was the victim of church “justice.” Or perhaps you simply met someone who opened your eyes and showed you the truth—that the Inheritor’s so-called honor, valor, and justice are just tin plating on a strict dogma that seeks to control people by restricting their free will. In any event, you left the church, and as a result, your family was subjected to scorn and holier-than-thou disapproval. Ever since, you’ve vowed to some day get revenge against the church of Iomedae—and with the current situation brewing in Cheliax, you might finally have the opportunity.
Choose one: against followers of Iomedae, including many (but not all) archons and angels, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls, or you gain a +1 trait bonus on the save DCs of your spells.
Good Slip [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 13
Halflings are a common sight in Cheliax and make up the majority of that nation’s slave population. Known derisively as “slips,” halflings are almost universally treated with scorn and contempt, while paradoxically valued as the most precious slaves. You are a Chelish halfling, but unlike most of your race, you have embraced your role in Chelish society, and used it to your own advantage. People constantly overlook you or discount you as an inconsequential slip, but you know the truth—halflings are just as vital to the empire’s health as its nobles, priests, and warriors. You may have been born a free halfling who has never known the chains of slavery, or a slave who was later freed after a period of loyal servitude. Or perhaps you are still a slave, happy (or at least content) in your enslavement, and hoping for some eventual recognition of your contribution, however small, to Cheliax’s great and orderly society.
You are skilled at prevaricating and dissembling, both to deflect blame away from yourself and to mislead others as to your true abilities and role. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is a class skill for you. In addition, your tacit support of Cheliax’s social structure, and the clear knowledge of your own place in society, strengthens your resolve. Once per day, when you are adjacent to a human ally of Chelish descent, you can reroll a Will saving throw before success or failure is known. You must take the results of the second roll, even if it is worse. You must be a halfling to take this trait.
Hellknight Aspirant [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 13
You have always admired the authority, discipline, and righteousness of the ebon-armored Hellknights. Whether it’s their unwavering self-control, uncompromising dedication to law and order, relentless pursuit of justice, or merciless administration of punishment, you have tried to model your own actions on the Hellknight philosophy called the Measure and the Chain. Your most fervent wish is to eventually join one of the Hellknight orders and take your place among the grim ranks dedicated to upholding and enforcing the laws of Hell and of Cheliax.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks, and Knowledge (planes) is a class skill for you. In addition, choose one of the following Hellknight orders. You have trained yourself in the use of that order’s favored weapon (if more than one weapon is listed, pick one), and gain a +1 trait bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to sunder or disarm you of that weapon.
Order of the Chain: Flail.
Order of the Gate: Dagger.
Order of the Godclaw: Morningstar.
Order of the Nail: Lance or halberd.
Order of the Pike: Longspear.
Order of the Pyre: Glaive.
Order of the Rack: Longsword or whip.
Order of the Scourge: Heavy mace or whip.
Local Tough [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 13
You were born and raised in the town of Longacre on the southwestern fringes of the Whisperwood, or at least have lived there long enough that you’re considered a native. You’ve never been one for the quiet life, and have been considered a miscreant and reprobate since you were a child. As an adult, you’ve made something of a name for yourself as a thug, enforcer, and petty thief in town, hiring yourself out to anybody who needs muscle in exchange for a few coins. In the course of such employment, you’ve worked with another local troublemaker named Cimri Staelish and have become friends. Cimri has recently gotten involved with some shadowy, though powerful, characters, and as Hell’s Vengeance begins, you and a group of other ne’erdo- wells have agreed to help Cimri burgle a tannery just outside town. With luck, this could be the start of bigger and better things than just working as hired muscle. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on weapon damage rolls when you are flanking a foe with an ally.
Scion of the Nine Circles [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 13
While the worship of Asmodeus is widespread throughout Cheliax, you follow a different path: that of the philosophy of diabolism. Asmodeus and the other archdevils are worthy of respect and emulation, certainly, but rather than worship one Lord of Hell above all others, your faith is instead based on the veneration of the order and laws of Hell itself as a model for a perfect society. Free will must be suppressed to prevent rebellion, slavery is required to keep the unworthy in their place, and evil and cruelty are necessary for good and kindness to exist.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks, and Knowledge (planes) is a class skill for you. You also know the Infernal tongue (this does not count toward your number of languages). In addition, your studies of Hell’s underlying structure give strength to your determination. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Will saves against the mind-affecting effects of outsiders with the good subtype.
Thrune Informant [Link]Source Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide pg. 13
The Thrice-Damned House of Thrune rules Cheliax with autocratic power, and its representatives can be found throughout the empire, drawn from all walks of life. Most of these agents do not work directly as government employees, but they still serve House Thrune in whatever ways they can. You are a true patriot of Cheliax, and have long worked for House Thrune as a paid informant. You report what you see to the authorities, and occasionally carry out specific tasks suited to your skill set and abilities when asked. People like you help prevent potential traitors and other “undesirables” from undermining Thrune’s authority and keep Chelish society running smoothly. You hope that with continued faithful service, you will eventually be rewarded with greater authority and autonomy as a sworn agent of House Thrune. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information, Disguise checks, and Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you.
Thrune Loyal Agent [Link]Source Pathfinder #104: Wrath of Thrune pg. 6
Nethys Note: this is a special trait that can only be gained by progressing through the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path. It is not available for normal character creation
You have sworn your body to Queen Abrogail and House Thrune in a ritual ceremony, and are willing to lay down your life in service to Thrune. Once per week, when reduced to fewer than 0 hit points, you automatically gain fast healing 1 for 1 minute. Once this ability has been used, you instead gain a +4 trait bonus on Constitution checks to stabilize when reduced to negative hit points.
In addition, you receive an invisible arcane mark of the encircled cross emblem of Cheliax as a symbol of your loyalty. This mark does not fade and is visible only to other creatures with this trait, or creatures with the ability to perceive the invisible (via or true seeing, for example). You can make this mark visible to other creatures for 1 round as a swift action. If the mark is dispelled or removed (such as with erase), it can be replaced with another casting of arcane mark, which thereafter functions as detailed in this trait.
Iron GodsAgainst the Technic League [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 8, People of the River pg. 31
Although the Black Sovereign rules Numeria in name, it’s the spellcasters of the Technic League who hold the real power. While their influence is certainly strongest in the capital of Starfall, their touch can be felt even here in Torch—the League takes a significant cut of the town’s income as tithes every month. For some reason, you have a grudge against the Technic League. Perhaps your parents lost their jobs as the result of an act they took that displeased the League—you might even suspect the League was responsible for their deaths. Alternatively, you could just rankle at the League’s open acceptance of slavery, their reputation for sadism and cruelty, or their penchant for hoarding and controlling technological wonders. Talk to your GM to refine the reasons why you hate the Technic League, but you’re convinced that they are somehow responsible for putting out the town’s torch and that evidence of their tampering can be found in the caverns below—if you can find evidence of the Technic League working against Torch’s better interests, that could well be a step toward the town’s independence from the League. Choose either weapons or spells. If you choose weapons, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all damage rolls made against targets you know are associated with the Technic League. If you choose spells, increase the save DC of your spells by 1 when you target such a foe.
Local Ties [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 8, People of the River pg. 31
You have ties to a prominent local in the town of Torch—the missing wizard Khonnir Baine. If you’re a wizard, alchemist, or other scholarly type, he may have been your tutor or teacher. If you’re of a more martial bent, Khonnir could instead have been a friend or business associate of your mother, father, or patron. He may even have been your adoptive father, in which case you likely have a bond of friendship or rivalry with his adopted daughter Val (your GM has more information on her in this case if you wish to know more for your character’s background). Your association with Khonnir has given you insight into how technology works. Choose Disable Device or Knowledge (engineering). You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with this skill, and it is a class skill for you. In addition, you are treated as if you possessed the Technologist feat for the purposes of resolving checks associated with that skill. If you gain the Technologist feat, your trait bonus for the selected skill increases to +3.
Numerian Archaeologist [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the River pg. 31
Numeria is a land ripe for archaeological exploration, since so many of the strange technological dungeons have been either avoided by the superstitious barbarian tribes or have been locked down by the Technic League, leaving many of them untouched and ripe for exploration. You’ve studied the strange language associated with these eerie technological ruins, and are eager to start exploring them—you suspect that Torch’s namesake is in fact part of a larger buried ruin, and you hope to enter these ruins and learn their original purpose by exploring the caves below town. You gain Androffan as an additional language. In addition, you possess a knack for technological items; when you use a timeworn technological item, roll twice when determining any glitches the item might cause and choose which result to use as your actual result. Talk to your GM for more information about resolving glitches.
Robot Slayer [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the River pg. 31
The strange automatons that plague the wilds of Numeria are a blight upon the world, and the idea that there could be countless more of these creatures lying in wait in the unknown ruins scattered throughout the region chills your blood. Khonnir’s recovery of a deactivated robot from the caves below Torch worries you—not only could that thing wake up and run amok in town, but there may well be more lurking below! You want to explore the caves under Torch to determine if there is indeed a lurking robot threat below town. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against robots and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by robots.
Skymetal Smith [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the River pg. 31
The fires atop Torch Hill have long been a boon to smiths and metalworkers, and your family is no exception. Whether you grew up in Torch or simply made several trips here with your parents to use the fire, this was to be your first time to use the torch for your own project. You managed to use the fires to craft a small weapon or piece of armor from skymetal, but not long thereafter the fires went out. The violet flames are as much a part of your upbringing as anything else, and their loss distresses you; you hope to find a way to rekindle the torch below the hill. You’ve long hoped to work with skymetal, and begin the game with a small metal bauble made of the skymetal of your choice—you made this item yourself. The item is nothing more than a valuable art object worth 100 gp. You can sell it to gain an additional 100 gp when creating your character, but if you keep it, your pride in its crafting grants you a +2 trait bonus on Will saving throws made against emotion and fear effects. You lose this bonus if you willingly sell or give up the item, but if it is destroyed or lost through no fault of your own, you retain a +1 trait bonus on such Will saves.
Stargazer (IG) [Link]Source Iron Gods Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the River pg. 31
They say the strange technological ruins scattered throughout Numeria came from the skies several thousand years ago. The concept of life on other planets far beyond Golarion has always fascinated you, and you’ve long hoped to learn more about what life on those other planets may have been like. You’ve heard stories about the strange alien creatures found in Numerian dungeons and hope to learn all you can about them—perhaps some of these aliens can be found in the caverns below Torch! You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge checks to identify alien monsters’ abilities and weaknesses. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (geography) checks, and this skill is a class skill for you. You are treated as if you possessed the Technologist feat for the purposes of resolving checks to identify an alien creature using a Knowledge skill and for all Knowledge (geography) checks. If you already possess the Technologist feat, then your trait bonus on Knowledge (geography) checks increases to +3.
Ironfang InvasionAnimal Whisperer [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 7
You’ve spent more of your life around animals than people, and find them easier to understand. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Handle Animal checks, and Handle Animal is always a class skill for you. Your trait bonus increases to +5 whenever you attempt to “push” a wild animal to perform a trick for you, so long as its attitude is indifferent or friendlier. You may target creatures of the animal type with charm or compulsion spells as if they were humanoids, but unless you have another ability to make yourself understood to animals, you must still succeed at a Handle Animal check to “push” your target in order to communicate specific requests.
Blight-Burned [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 7
You were raised deep in the Fangwood Forest, but in your childhood the Darkblight overtook your community, and blighted fey attacked your friends and family. Even after escaping, you barely survived infection by the otherworldly fungal disease and still bear a terrible scar from your ordeal. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws against disease or poison (your choice), and your scar now throbs painfully in the presence of unnatural creatures, immediately alerting you to their presence. This sixth sense alerts you to the presence of aberrations, oozes, and all creatures with the blighted fey and fungal creature templates within 30 feet (though it doesn’t indicate their exact location). You can always act during the surprise round against such creatures, and you aren’t considered flat-footed against such creatures in the first round of combat.
Chernasardo Hopeful [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
You’ve pledged your skills and your life to the Chernasardo rangers, studying to protect your homeland from foreign invaders. You currently remain a neophyte in this secretive guerrilla army. You have yet to be entrusted with many of their secrets, and spend a great deal of time training with the old ranger Aubrin in Phaendar to hone your skills of hunting and tracking. In forest or plains terrain, you may reduce a single target’s effective level of concealment against you (from total concealment to concealment to not concealed) by studying your natural surroundings as a move action. This reduced concealment ends immediately once the target moves from its current location. At 10th level, you may study your terrain as a swift action instead.
Foxclaw Scout [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
You are part of Nirmathas’s informal network of hunters and scouts known as the Foxclaws, and study the secret vulnerabilities of those dangerous beasts that prey upon your fellow settlers. You gain a +2 trait bonus to confirm critical hits against creatures of the animal, magical beast, and vermin types, and while wearing a trophy from an animal, magical beast, or vermin whose CR was higher than your current class level, you gain a +1 morale bonus on Will saves.
Frontier Healer [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
You make your way in life by putting people back together after the rigors of the world take their toll—brewing herbal remedies, setting broken bones, and treating diseases. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Heal and Knowledge (nature) checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. Any time you restore hit points using the Heal skill or a cure spell (but not with channeled energy, lay on hands, or a magic device such as a potion or wand), you restore 1 additional hit point, plus 1 for every 2 class levels you have beyond 1st.
Ironfang Survivor [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
Whether you were serving in the military or simply beset by a surprise attack, you barely survived an encounter with the Ironfang Legion, one of Molthune’s infamous monster regiments. Maybe you even survived the horrors of the Ramgate Massacre. You can’t scrub the memories of their brutality from your waking or sleeping mind, and you keenly recall their distinctive fighting styles. You gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against goblinoids, and once per day when you attempt an Intimidate, Sense Motive, or Stealth check against a goblinoid, you can roll two dice and use the better result.
Kraggodan Castaway [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
(Dwarf Only) You hail from the dwarven Sky Citadel of Kraggodan in southern Nirmathas and have spent the past several years among the surface people serving as a mercenary in the war, trading with Nirmathi towns, or simply seeing the surface world. Molthune’s recent siege of Kraggodan has squelched any hopes you had of returning home, and now you struggle to find a home on the surface. Thanks to your travels, you gain one of the following as a bonus language: Common, Hallit, Varisian, or Undercommon. In addition, your homesickness means time spent underground revitalizes your spirits; whenever you are underground—either in natural caverns or an artificial complex—you automatically stabilize if brought below 0 hit points, and if reduced to 0 hit points (or you are stable and conscious when below 0 hit points) you do not take the usual 1 point of damage disabled characters take from performing a standard action. This revitalizing effect fades after 4 consecutive days spent underground, but returns after you spend more than a week above ground again.
Unbreakable Survivor [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
Over a decade ago, bandits took everything you valued in life and left you barely alive. You managed to rebuild your life in the years since, and your tenacity has made you a local legend. Once per day as a full round action, you may shrug off some of your injuries and immediately heal a number of hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + 1 per Hit Die. Your reputation for tenacity inspires your neighbors, and you gain a +1 trait bonus whenever you attempt to influence residents of Phaendar with Diplomacy or Intimidate checks. At 6th level, your reputation spreads further across the nation, and you may apply your trait bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to influence all humanoids in Nirmathas.
World-Weary [Link]Source Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide pg. 8
You’ve seen the horrors of war, and had hoped you’d seen the end of it. You’ve retreated from the fighting—likely from the front line with Molthune, but maybe from the crusade of Lastwall or the political infighting of Ustalav—and now just want to protect and provide for those you care about. You gain one of the following as a permanent class skill: Appraise, Heal, Knowledge (history), Sense Motive, or Survival. When you perform an aid another action to improve a creature’s Armor Class, you increase its AC by +4 rather than +2.
Jade RegentBest Customer [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 29
You’ve sat on your favorite barstool at the Rusty Dragon every night for as long as you can remember— and some nights you can’t remember thanks to a few too many drinks. In your various hazes, you’ve gotten to know the tap house’s proprietor, Ameiko, or one of her regulars, Sandru, quite well. Additionally, you’re well acquainted with a variety of uses for strong drink. Any time you have an alcoholic beverage on hand, you can expend one use of it to grant you a +2 trait bonus on a Heal check. This bonus increases to +4 if you’re treating your favorite drinking buddy (your NPC of choice). NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru.
Best Friend [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
You are best friends with one of the NPCs; you’ve grown up together, and while your friend has had a much more exciting life than you so far, you hope one day to follow in your friend’s footsteps and see the world—or perhaps even become an adventurer yourself. You’ve picked up a lot from your friend, but particularly his or her skill in interacting with others. If Ameiko is your best friend, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks. If Sandru is your best friend, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks. Whichever skill you gain a trait bonus on, that skill is always considered a class skill for you. In addition, in situations where your best friend is in danger, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your friend. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru.
Caravan Guard [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
You recently hired on to Sandru’s caravan to serve as a guard, but the job, while it paid well, gave you little chance to scratch the adventuring itch, since the caravan never really ventured into dangerous territory. You understand why Sandru avoided the more dangerous routes, of course, but that didn’t help assuage your urge to seek adventure. You’ve just told Sandru that you’re quitting the job in order to try your hand at adventuring— he seemed to understand, and even gave you some good tips on how best to survive potential challenges. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Survival checks, and Survival becomes a class skill for you. NPC Choices: Sandru.
Childhood Crush [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
You’ve never had the guts to act on it, but for as long as you can remember, you’ve had a crush on one of the NPCs. Someday, maybe you’ll be able to earn the NPC’s love, but for now, you’re content to spend time in the NPC’s proximity, or even to do things for the NPC that might earn you a word of thanks or a smile. Once per day, you may attempt to earn a kind word or a smile from the NPC whom you have a crush on by making a DC 15 Charisma check. If you’re successful, the elation and joy at the attention gives you a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws for the remainder of the day. If you’re ever lucky enough to win the NPC’s love, this +1 trait bonus on saving throws applies at all times, as long as your relationship remains active. Note that gender isn’t an issue in the case of these three NPCs. Unless your GM says otherwise, all three of these NPCs are considered to be bisexual as far as this trait’s implications are concerned. Note that if you take this trait, you’ll likely want to coordinate NPC choices with any other player who chooses this trait as well, since choosing the same NPC could cause unwanted party strife. Of course… if that’s what you and the other player are looking for, go for it! In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your crush. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru, Shalelu.
Foreign-Tongued [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 29
Intrigued by the travels of one of your long-time acquaintances, you’ve convinced her to teach you one of the exotic languages she picked up in her journeys. Choose one of the following characters. You may select one of that character’s languages as a bonus language. Additionally, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks made to pass secret messages to the chosen character (see the description of the Bluff skill). NPC Choices: Ameiko, Koya, Sandru, Shalelu.
Ameiko: Tien, Varisian
Koya or Sandru: Varisian
Shalelu: Elven, Goblin
Foster Child [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
Koya Mvashti might be old enough to be your grandmother, but to you, she’s always been your mom. Ever since your parents passed away, Koya’s been taking care of you as if she were your mother. You never really figured out why Koya took you into her care, but you do know she’s done this before—most recently with Sandru Vhiski, whom you think of as your brother. Growing up, Koya made sure that you had the best education possible, particularly in one particular topic. Choose any Knowledge skill—you gain a +2 bonus on skill checks with that Knowledge skill, and it becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your adoptive mother. NPC Choices: Koya.
Friend of the Family [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
Your family has been close friends with the Mvashtis for as long as you’ve been alive. Old Niska Mvashti’s recent death wasn’t all that unexpected— she must have been over a hundred years old, as far as you know—but it was a sobering moment nonetheless. What no one else in your family knows, though, is that in the weeks before her death, Niska must have known that her days were numbered, because she called you to her house one day and made you make a promise: If her daughter Koya ever went on a long trip, you would go with her to ensure her safety. Although the chances of Koya going on a long trip seem remote (she must be at least 60 years old, after all), you’ve made a promise to Niska to accompany her daughter if such an event comes to pass. Ever since you made this promise, you’ve felt a strange sense of destiny looming in your future—you might even think that Niska is now watching over your shoulder, just as she asked you to watch over her daughter. As a result of this eerie sense of being watched over, you’ve been able to react to dangerous situations more quickly than ever. As long as Koya remains alive, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, and Perception becomes a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten Koya. NPC Choices: Koya.
Hero Worship [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 12
Everyone in town seems to admire Ameiko and Shalelu—they’re heroes, after all, and played key roles in the recent troubles that plagued Sandpoint. You, though, take this admiration to a new level—you practically worship one of these two. This could be because you saw one of them perform a particularly impressive act of bravery at some point in the past, or maybe they just happened to give you the exact right words of encouragement or a kind gift at some point a few years ago when you were young and impressionable. In any case, you’ve done your best to emulate your hero’s talents at spellcasting or combat. If your hero is Ameiko, you gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks. If your hero is Shalelu, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC against attacks of opportunity. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your hero. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Shalelu.
Rescued [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 13
At some point in the past, you had a terrifyingly close brush with death. Maybe a goblin nearly killed you during an attack on the town, or perhaps a building struck by a giant’s boulder collapsed around you. Whatever the peril was, you would have certainly died if not for the swift actions of Koya or Shalelu, who intervened just in time to save your life. You’ve never forgotten this, and remain fiercely loyal to the NPC who saved you. Perhaps even more importantly, the method in which she saved you seems to have had an impact on your own skills. If Koya saved you, she did so by casting a healing spell on you just before you died, and as a result you gain a +2 trait bonus whenever you use cure spells to heal damage. If it was Shalelu who saved you, she did so by pulling you to safety while simultaneously defeating the peril that almost did you in, and as a result, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks and Acrobatics is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your savior. NPC Choices: Koya, Shalelu.
Student Survivalist [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 13
Although she is seen as something of a mystery to most of Sandpoint’s citizens, Shalelu has never really seemed all that mysterious to you. Of course, that’s probably because she helped raise you. You have never quite figured out why Shalelu decided to treat you as a younger sibling, but you certainly appreciated it— and you eagerly absorbed all of the survivalist tricks that she showed you over the years. As a result, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all Survival checks, and Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your mentor. NPC Choices: Shalelu.
Younger Sibling [Link]Source Jade Regent Player's Guide pg. 13
You’ve lived your whole life in the shadow of your older sibling, a person who seems to have the adventure-filled lifestyle you’ve always wanted for yourself. While your sibling always took care of you, he or she never supported your desire to become an adventurer—your sibling never explained why, only saying, “Adventuring can cause a lot of pain just as easily as it can bring success and riches.” As a younger sibling to one of Sandpoint’s more influential citizens, you share some of that NPC’s innate talent and skill at adventuring. If you’re Ameiko’s younger sibling, your ferocious independence and self-confidence give you a +1 trait bonus on Will saving throws. If you’re Sandru’s younger sibling, your hearty constitution gives you a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude saving throws. If you’re Shalelu’s younger sibling, your quick reflexes give you a +1 trait bonus on all Reflex saving throws. Note: Although you’re a younger sibling of an established NPC, this doesn’t necessarily lock you in to being the same race as that NPC—if you’re a different race or ethnicity than the NPC you choose as your older sister or brother, you were adopted into the family by your parents. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your older sibling. NPC Choices: Ameiko, Sandru, Shalelu.
KingmakerBastard (KM) [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 10
(Human Only) One of your parents was a member of one of the great families of Brevoy, perhaps even of the line of Rogarvia itself. Yet you have no substantive proof of your nobility, and you’ve learned that claiming nobility without evidence makes you as good as a liar. While you might own a piece of jewelry, a scrap of once-rich fabric, or an aged confession of love, none of this directly supports your claim. Thus, you’ve lived your life in the shadow of nobility, knowing that you deserve the comforts and esteem of the elite, even though the contempt of fate brings you nothing but their scorn. Whether a recent attempt to prove your heritage has brought down the wrath of a noble family’s henchmen or you merely seek to prove the worth of the blood in your veins, you’ve joined an expedition into the Stolen Lands, hoping to make a name all your own. You take a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks made when dealing with members of Brevic nobility but gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves as a result of your stubbornness and individuality. (The penalty aspect of this trait is removed if you ever manage to establish yourself as a true noble.)
Brigand [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 10
You hail from the River Kingdoms or the more lawless reaches of Brevoy. Life has been hard for you. Perhaps your parents and siblings were crooks and con artists, or maybe your rough, lonely life lead you to fall in with thieves and worse. You know how to ambush travelers, bully traders, avoid the law, and camp where no one might find you. Recently, you’ve run into some trouble, either with the law or with other bandits, and you’re looking to get away to somewhere no one would ever think to look for you. An expedition into the rugged wilderness seems like a perfect way to lie low until the trouble blows over. You begin the campaign with an extra 100 gp in ill-gotten gains. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks when dealing with brigands, thieves, bandits, and their ilk.
Issian [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 10
You were raised northern Brevoy, a land of misty shores and harsh hill lands, of snowy vistas and violet-hued mountains. You are descended from an able and intelligent people, and you have grand ambitions, a mind alert for opportunity, and the tenacity to fight for your goals no matter the challenge. You care for little more than achieving your aspirations and opportunities to win wealthy and grandeur, for which few costs prove too great. You see yourself as a citizen of Brevoy through and through. The call for champions willing to help take back your country’s rightful holdings in the Stolen Lands has inflamed your dreams of profit and possibilities, so you have joined an expedition to quest south. Your agile mind grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Will saves made to resist mind-affecting effects.
Noble Born [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 10
You claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brevoy’s noble families. If you aren’t human, you were likely adopted by one of Brevoy’s nobles or were instead a favored servant or even a childhood friend of a noble scion. Whatever the cause, you’ve had a comfortable life, but one far from the dignity and decadence your distant cousins know. Although you are associated with an esteemed name, your immediate family is hardly well to do, and you’ve found your name to be more of a burden to you than a boon in many social situations. You’ve recently decided to test yourself, to see if you can face the world without the aegis of a name you have little real claim or care for. An expedition into the storied Stolen Lands seems like just the test to see if you really are worth the title “noble.” Choose one of the following noble families and associated benefits.
Garess: Your family’s long association with the dwarves of the Golushkin Mountains has left its mark. You ignore the movement penalty for the first 5 feet of rocky difficult terrain you move through per round. This applies only to terrain made difficult by rocks or ruins. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks to assess the value of natural stones or metals. Your family motto is “Strong as the Mountains.”
Lebeda: Your family’s history of trading along the shores of Lake Reykal pervades your blood. As a deft merchant of the region, you gain a bonus language: Dwarven, Elven, Hallit, Gnome, Giant, Halfling, Skald, or Sylvan. Your family motto is “Success through Grace.”
Lodovka: Your family has made a living off the coasts of the Lake of Mists and Veils since before Brevoy existed. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks, and Swim is always treated as a class skill for you. Your family motto is “The Waters, Our Fields.”
Medvyed: Your family has long a deep respect for the wilderness and is superstitious about the creatures that dwell therein. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Diplomacy checks made to deal with fey creatures and a +1 trait bonus on Will saves made against their spells and supernatural abilities. Your family motto is “Endurance Overcomes All.”
Orlovsky: Your family has a reputation for avoiding conflicts. You gain a +1 trait bonus on your CMD. In addition, choose Acrobatics, Diplomacy, or Stealth—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill. Your family motto is “High Above.”
Surtova: Your family is well known for their political agility and scheming natures. You deal +2 damage when attacking a flat-footed opponent while wielding a light or one-handed weapon. Your family motto is “Ours is the Right.”
Pioneer [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 11
You have long lived along the southern border of Brevoy, in the shadow of wilderness known as the Stolen Lands. Life has been hard, but through hunting, trapping, trading, and coaxing crops from the freezing earth, you’ve learned how to survive on the rugged frontier. With the wilderness ever at your door, you’ve also learned much about its denizens and the wild creatures that lurk in that unwholesome land. Your family might even claim holdings in the Stolen Lands, with elders telling stories of being driven from or robbed of a lost ancestral homestead, fertile farmlands, bountiful orchards, or a hidden mining claim. Whether because of your personal expertise and familiarity with the borderlands or in order to reclaim your family’s land, you’ve joined the expedition into the Stolen Lands. You begin play with a horse. Also, choose one of the following skills: Climb, Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Ride, Survival, or Swim—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill.
Rostlander [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 12
You were raised in the south of Brevoy, a land of dense forests and rolling plains, of crystalline rivers and endless sapphire skies. You come from hearty stock and were raised with simple sensibilities of hard work winning well-deserved gains, the importance of charity and compassion, and the value of personal and familial honor. Yours is the country of the Aldori swordlords and the heroes who refused to bend before the armies of a violent conqueror. You care little for matters of politics and nobles or of deception and schemes. As you are thoroughly Brevic, the call for champions willing to expand your land’s influence into the Stolen Lands has inflamed your sense of patriotism and honor, and so you have joined an expedition to quest southward. Your hardy nature grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude saves.
Sword Scion [Link]Source Kingmaker Player's Guide pg. 12
You have lived all your life in and around the city of Restov, growing up on tales of Baron Sirian Aldori and the exploits of your home city’s heroic and legendary swordlords. Perhaps one of your family members was an Aldori swordlord, you have a contact among their members, or you have dreamed since childhood of joining. Regardless, you idolize the heroes, styles, and philosophies of the Aldori and have sought to mimic their vaunted art. Before you can petition to join their ranks, however, you feel that you must test your mettle. Joining an expedition into the Stolen Lands seems like a perfect way to improve your skills and begin a legend comparable to that of Baron Aldori. You begin play with a longsword or Aldori dueling sword and gain a +1 trait bonus on all attacks and combat maneuvers made with such weapons.
Legacy of Fire Earning your Freedom [Link]
Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 9
You’ve been a slave your whole life, and have passed from master to master more times than you can count. Some of those masters were cruel, others kindly. In all cases, you’ve yearned to be free. When your most recent master fell on hard times, he sold many of his slaves to the city government, and as luck would have it, a recent opportunity to earn your freedom has manifested. The Pactmasters of Katapesh are looking to revitalize an old trade route to Osirion, and a band of mercenaries and guards is gathering to go out and supplement forces already in place near the ruined village of Kelmarane, now said to be infested by gnolls. You’ve secured a place among those mercenaries, under the watchful eye of Garavel. If you help in retaking Kelmarane, you’ve been promised your freedom. In any event, your life as a slave has toughened you and made you more resistant to hardship. Choose one of the three categories of saving throw; you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws of that type.
Finding Haleen [Link]Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 11
You never knew your parents—perhaps they died when you were a child, or maybe you were taken from them and raised elsewhere as a slave. You owe your sanity and your life to a woman named Haleen. She could be your sister or merely a childhood companion, but whatever your relationship to her, she took care of you and protected you. She’s always been a part of your life, and although her temper often kept her from making friends or keeping a job, she’s always been kind to you. Haleen was instrumental in securing your freedom from slavery or making sure you got a good apprenticeship or job in society—but recently, she’d been growing strangely morose and depressed. You and Haleen normally kept no secrets, but whatever was bothering her wasn’t something she shared with you. One night, she vanished, leaving you a brief note, begging you to forget her and to get on with your life, but something about the note bothered you—something in the way she phrased her words struck you as forced. You may be convinced she’d been kidnapped, forced to leave against her will, or even magically controlled, but you also suspect that she left you to protect you from something—that was ever her way. You’re now convinced that it’s time for you to step in and protect her, but you had no idea where she may have gone until recently. Several months have passed since she disappeared, and you’ve spent those months searching for clues to her location, and you’ve finally found a lead—a mysterious note, a strange dream, the result of a back-alley divination, or a report of a sighting of a woman matching Haleen’s description has come to you, placing Haleen in the vicinity of an old ghost town named Kelmarane. What she’s doing there and how she came to be there makes no sense to you yet, but the lead is the strongest one you’ve had. This and Garavel’s advertisement for mercenaries to accompany him to the region is all the omen you need. You joined Garavel’s group and eagerly await the day you’ll be leaving for Kelmarane. Although Haleen chose to become a swashbuckling adventurer, she always encouraged you to seek your own path, and her support is the primary reason you chose the class you did at 1st level. This class is always a favored class to you, and your dedication to it is such that every time you take a level in the class, you gain +1 hit point and 1 additional skill point over and above what you would normally gain. If multiple PCs take this trait, they should be siblings who were both protected and raised by Haleen.
Gnoll Killer [Link]Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 10
You grew up in rural Katapesh, in a region where gnoll activity was a fact of life. You killed your first gnoll at a young age when a group of gnoll slavers attacked your village, home, or caravan, and your hatred of gnolls has only grown since then. Something in your past fueled your hatred of gnolls even further— perhaps your family was slaughtered by gnolls, or maybe you even served a few harrowing weeks as a prisoner of a gnoll tribe before a miraculous escape. When you heard that Garavel was looking for brave men and women to aid in retaking the village of Kelmarane from a tribe of gnolls in the service of the notorious Carrion King, you knew you had to be part of the group, and signed up immediately. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against gnolls. If you are a barbarian and you’re fighting gnolls, your rage lasts 1 round longer than normal. If you’re a ranger and you select humanoid (gnoll) as a favored enemy, your trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against gnolls increases to +2. If you’re a spellcaster, you gain a +1 trait bonus to spell save DCs for damaging spells against gnolls.
Missionary [Link]Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 10
You’ve spent much of the last several years serving your faith, and the conviction and dedication to your church has impressed many. Perhaps you’ve donated much of your personal wealth or time to serving the church, or you’re the child of a powerful or well-loved member of the church, an orphan raised by the church, or a foundling with a strange birthmark that bears more than a passing resemblance to your faith’s holy symbol. The faith has long supported you, and you are eager to repay the church in some way. In Katapesh, the establishment of a new village is always cause for interest to the nation’s churches, as establishing new temples in villages is an excellent way to expand upon the church’s resources and bring in more faithful. If the Pactmasters’ plans to revitalize and rebuild Kelmarane are successful, the village will need a temple, and your faith is keenly interested in being represented there. This campaign trait is particularly suited to worshipers of Sarenrae, as Kelmarane was founded near an old monastery dedicated to the Dawnflower, and reconsecrating that monastery is of great interest to Sarenrae’s church. Furthermore, a temple dedicated to her once stood in Kelmarane itself, but it has long since fallen into ruin; whispers among the religion tell that the church’s old pastor may have fallen from grace and may even have been part of the cause of the hard times that befell the village. You’ve joined Garavel’s band in hopes of helping to establish a new temple in the soon-to-be revitalized village. You’ve been selected for your dedication to the church and your strong social graces—pick one of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Perform (any), or Sense Motive. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks using that skill, and it is always considered a class skill for you.
Reclaiming your Roots [Link]Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 10
Your interest in the village of Kelmarane is more personal than most of the others who are heading out to aid in the reclamation. You aren’t seeking revenge against gnolls, glory, money, or anything else—to you, this is purely a matter of honor, as Kelmarane is where you were born. Your were forced to flee the village when you were only a few years old, and you didn’t discoverer this until a few years ago—perhaps you found an old document that revealed the truth, or maybe you learned the news from a relative. Both of your parents are now dead, and from what you’ve been able to piece together, one of your parents actually died in the village when whatever happened there happened. Your surviving parent spirited you away to safety to grow up elsewhere, but never spoke of Kelmarane and always told you that your other parent died when you were a child in a horrific tragedy like a fire or a flood that swept away the body. Now that you’ve started to uncover the truth, you are convinced that your heritage remains hidden in Kelmarane. Whether you just wish to find out what really happened to your parent that died there or you want to rebuild the village in his or her honor is up to you—but Garavel’s caravan to the village is just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. When your other parent died recently, among his or her effects was a single item that once belonged to the parent who died at Kelmarane. This item is your most valued possession—a piece of jewelry worth 350 gp, any masterwork weapon or armor worth no more than 350 gp, or a wand containing any 1st-level spell (CL 1st) with only 20 charges remaining. If you ever lose this item, your resulting depression imposes a –1 penalty on Will saves for 1 year.
Seeking Adventure [Link]Source Legacy of Fire Player's Guide pg. 10
The Pathfinder Society has long intrigued you—tales of the exotic lands and strange discoveries made by Pathfinders have enchanted your dreams and fired your imagination since childhood. When Pathfinders came through your village or neighborhood, they immediately enthralled you with their stories and knowledge. Yet at the time, you were far too young to join them, and when they left for adventure you had to stay behind. Now that you are of age, you’ve traveled to Absalom to apply for membership. The application process went well, and you’re now a full member. Your first assignment is to accompany Garavel’s group to Kelmarane—the Pathfinder Society has heard rumors of several ancient structures in the area, including a ruined monastery once dedicated to Sarenrae, and would like to learn more about them. Even more pressing is the mystery of what brought about Kelmarane’s ruin in the first place—reports of which are vague at best. If you can determine the cause of the village’s abandonment so many years ago, you’re sure the Society would be impressed. You begin the game with your own wayfinder, a loan from your venture-captain. You’ve promised to pay your venturecaptain 500 gp for the wayfinder some day, but for now it’s yours to use. A wayfinder is a magical compass that grants you a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost, and can be commanded to emit light as the spell (CL 5th) as a standard action. Further details on the Pathfinder Society and wayfinders may be found in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting (pages 194–195) or Seekers of Secrets.
Mummy’s MaskBlood of Pharaohs [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the Sands pg. 30
Long ago, one of your ancestors ruled over the lands of Osirion. Although you are many generations removed and the line of descent is hard to prove, his or her blood still runs in your veins. Perhaps you may find some proof of your lineage in the tombs of Wati’s necropolis. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nobility) checks and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you may choose Ancient Osiriani as one of your bonus languages.
Devotee of the Old Gods [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the Sands pg. 30
Osirion has a history stretching back over 8,000 years, and the deities worshiped today in modern Osirion are not the same ones revered in Ancient Osirion’s heyday—deities with names like Anubis, Osiris, Ra, and Set, among others. Your family never lost the faith of your ancestors, however, and your devotion to one of the deities of Ancient Osirion has helped keep the memory of Osirion’s past alive—a past that still lingers on in the untouched necropolis of Wati. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion) checks, and one of those skills is always a class skill for you. In addition, your faith in the old gods of Osirion grants you a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against divine magic. For more information on the deities of Ancient Osirion, see Pathfinder Adventure Path #80: Empty Graves.
Foreign Opportunist [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the Sands pg. 30
You’re not a native Osirian, but the opportunity to explore the tombs of Ancient Osirion—and “liberate” the treasures they hold—is too good to pass up. Whether or not you’re interested in the history of this land, you’re definitely interested in the wealth that’s lain hidden in dusty crypts for millennia— such as the tombs in the newly opened necropolis of Wati. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, your contacts in the antiquities markets allow you to sell relics of Ancient Osirion for 60% of their listed price, rather than the normal 50% value. What is considered a relic of Ancient Osirion is left to the GM’s discretion.
Inquisitive Archaeologist [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 9, People of the Sands pg. 31
You have studied the architectural styles of nations throughout the Inner Sea region, but none have fascinated you like the architecture of Ancient Osirion. Hearing that the famed necropolis of Wati has finally been opened for exploration, you’ve come to that city to get firsthand experience with the lost secrets of Ancient Osirion’s master builders. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (engineering) checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Perception checks to find concealed or secret doors in structures built in the style of Ancient Osirion.
Mummy-Cursed [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
One of your ancestors ran afoul of a mummy’s curse while exploring an ancient tomb. This curse was passed down to later generations of your family, but over time, your line has become more resistant to curses. You’ve come to Wati to explore its untouched necropolis, and while you hope you won’t have to face a real undead mummy, at least you have some defense if you do. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against curses and curse effects (including mummy rot and spells with the curse descriptor) and a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against a mummy’s aura of despair.
Resurrected [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
At some time in the recent past you died, but you were brought back to life—whether because of magic, a blessing of the gods, a destiny you have to fulfill, or perhaps it just wasn’t your time to die yet. Whatever the nature of your resurrection, your experience gave you a fascination with death, and you hope to find some insight into the nature of mortality by exploring the tombs of Wati’s famous necropolis. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against death effects. In addition, you do not die until your hit points drop to a negative amount equal to or lower than your Constitution score + 4.
Sphinx Riddler [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
You’ve always been fascinated with the ancient race of sphinxes, and are inspired by them to love puzzles and riddles and enjoy solving difficult dilemmas. Like so many others, you’ve come to Wati to explore its ancient necropolis, but you’ve also heard that sphinxes occasionally visit a sphinx-shaped ruin called Ubet’s Folly in the city—perhaps you’ll have the chance to meet and talk with a sphinx yourself! You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks against sphinxes, and a +1 trait bonus on any skill check to decipher a puzzle or riddle. In addition, you may choose Sphinx as one of your bonus languages.
Trap Finder [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
Forgotten dungeons and ancient tombs have always held an appeal for you, and you’ve never been able to resist the urge to delve into these lost sites in search of knowledge, treasure, or both. You may not have received any formal training in the roguish arts, but you’ve nonetheless become skilled at spotting and disabling hidden traps. The tombs of Wati’s necropolis, just opened for exploration, seem like the perfect place to put your skills to the test. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps, like a rogue.
Undead Crusader [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
You have dedicated your life to eradicating the scourge of the undead from Golarion. You have spent countless hours studying the different types of undead and have trained endlessly to learn the best ways to defeat them. If any undead creatures come out of the tombs of Wati’s necropolis, you’ll be ready for them! You gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls against undead creatures. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you.
Wati Native [Link]Source Mummy's Mask Player's Guide pg. 10, People of the Sands pg. 31
You were born and raised in the city of Wati, and you know its streets and secrets well. Although it’s frowned upon by the city’s authorities, you have sneaked into the necropolis on multiple occasions to wander its dusty, abandoned streets. Out of respect for the deceased, you’ve never actually entered one of the necropolis’s silent tombs, but you have no fear of what might lie inside. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against fear effects. In addition, your knowledge of the city grants you a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you.
Reign of WinterAdaptive Magic [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 5, People of the North pg. 30
The wonders of magic have always fascinated you, and you find the urge to tinker and experiment with magic almost irresistible. You could be the child of an alchemist, wizard, or witch; a member of the Pathfinder Society; or maybe someone with a touch of fey or dragon blood. You may not be trained in magic, and you’ve had your share of accidental mishaps, but you possess a natural knack for activating magic items. You’ve always been intrigued by the cold magic of the winter witches and ice mages of the North, and would love to get your hands on some of their magic items. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Use Magic Device checks, and Use Magic Device is a class skill for you.
Blood of Giants [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 5, People of the North pg. 31
You’re a big person, and people have always said you’ve got some giant blood in you. Even as a child, you towered over your friends, and as you grew older, you grew even taller and stronger. Maybe your hair has a tint of blue as well, or your skin is as pale as snow. Perhaps someday you’ll get the opportunity to travel to the North and meet some real giants, and see whether the rumors about you are true. You gain a +1 trait bonus on combat maneuver checks to sunder, and a +1 trait bonus to your CMD against bull rush and overrun combat maneuvers.
Failed Winter Witch Apprentice [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 5, People of the North pg. 31
As a child, you were apprenticed as a winter witch in the frozen land of Irrisen, but you did not complete your training. Perhaps you disagreed with the politics of Irrisen’s White Witches, or you had an altercation with one of your teachers, or maybe you were just ill-suited to the practice of witchcraft. Whatever the reason, you left the ranks of the winter witches and left Irrisen. Whether or not you have continued your training on your own, you still retain some small knowledge of witchery and the magic of the icy north. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks to identify spells or magical effects with the cold descriptor, and one of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain Hallit or Skald (this does not count toward your number of languages).
Northern Ancestry [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 6, People of the North pg. 31
One of your parents came from the North, and the tales of the frozen lands at the top of the world that you grew up listening to excited your imagination. Alternatively, maybe one of your ancestors passed on the blood of some frost-rimed creature. You feel most alive during the chill of winter, and as a child, you spent hours playing in the snow. You rarely feel the cold, and you’ve always had a restless longing to travel north. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves, as well as cold resistance 2; this resistance does not stack with cold resistance gained from any other source.
Restless Wayfarer [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 6, People of the North pg. 31
You have long led a nomadic life—perhaps because your parents were travelers (whether roaming Varisian caravaneers or traveling merchants who traded far and wide), you belonged to a nomadic tribe, or you ran away from home to discover the world at a young age. Some call it wanderlust, but to you the thought of new places and experiences is truly what makes life worth living, and no region catches your imagination like the windswept wilderness of the North. You are used to getting along in unfamiliar lands and interacting with interesting new people. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you. You can also speak one additional language (this does not count toward your number of languages).
Vigilante Witch Hunter [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 6, People of the North pg. 31
You don’t trust witches. They deal with otherworldly beings, consort with beasts, and brew vile poisons in their cauldrons. As a child, perhaps you barely escaped some horrid fate at the hands of an evil witch, or maybe a loved one was stolen from you by a witch’s charms. Perhaps you wanted to be a witch yourself, but the local witch refused to take you on as an apprentice. Whatever the reason, you now hate witches, and have dedicated your life to ferreting them out and exposing their wickedness for all to see. You know that the North is full of winter witches, and should you ever find yourself there, you’ll relish bringing your justice to them as well. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you. In addition, you begin the campaign with 1d4 hex nails (see the sidebar).
Warded against Witchery [Link]Source Reign of Winter Player's Guide pg. 6, People of the North pg. 31
Sometime in your youth, you encountered a location, object, or being steeped in the power of evil witchcraft. Whether you were the victim of this force, were a conduit for it, or merely witnessed its effects, the event changed your life. You have tried to put the strange incident behind you and forget it, but nebulous premonitions of danger and eerie feelings of deja vu have dogged your steps ever since. For some inexplicable reason, you feel drawn to the lands of the North, though you fear another encounter with the evil witchcraft that touched you once before. Whether through your purity, the blessing of goodly spirits, an innate determination, or an intuitive and inexplicable familiarity with the ways of black magic, you have acquired a resilience against the power of the dark arts. You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against the spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of evil arcane spellcasters, and a +1 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify spells cast by evil arcane spellcasters.
Return of the RunelordsAccidental Clone [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 9
Adventuring has been in your blood for as long as you can remember, and this urge to go out and explore the world left you recently in over your head when you (foolishly or bravely, depending on how you look at it) decided to explore an old Thassilonian ruin near your home town. The adventure ended in tragedy when you set off a devastating trap while investigating a statue of a beautiful woman—someone you believed to be one of the ancient runelords of Thassilon. The trap slaughtered your entire party—including you.
You woke from death some time later, your memories intact but your body transformed. No longer did you resemble your previous self—you instead looked like the woman depicted in the statue. Now, you’ve joined up with a new group of adventurers; despite your tragic first attempt at dungeon delving, your thirst for adventure has returned stronger than ever. You’re sure that this time you’ll be able to keep your fellow explorers alive, and the strange dreams you’ve been having ever since you came back to life in your new body—a body that your research has revealed was originally intended to be a clone of none other than Sorshen, the Runelord of Lust—have only further solidified in your mind the fact that you and your companions are destined for greatness.
Your character must be human if you take this trait (though you may retain your previous gender identity). Your ethnicity is Azlanti, but you are not pure-blooded—you have the standard human ability score adjustments. Your resemblance to Sorshen may have unexpected side effects as the campaign progresses, for good or for ill. In any event, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and these skills are always class skills for you.
Once per adventure, you can retroactively apply a +20 trait bonus to a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect after you learn the outcome of the roll. A saving throw result of a natural 1 still automatically fails, but if the +20 bonus adjusts the save so that it is successful, you treat the failed saving throw as a successful one.
Unless the GM approves, only one PC in the group can have the Accidental Clone trait.
Audrahni's Ally [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 10
While every PC should be at least passingly familiar with the elven gravedigger Audrahni, you are one of the few in town she counts as a true friend. Work with the GM to determine what sort of common ground you and Audrahni share. Perhaps you worship a deity whose teachings parallel her vocation (such as Ashava or Pharasma). Maybe you’re a Forlorn elf and you sense a kindred spirit within her. With the GM’s permission you may have known her in Magnimar before meeting her once again upon arriving in Roderic’s Cove. Or perhaps you merely share a similar passion for arcana, dancing, history, magic, or religion. More details about Audrahni appear in the adventures, but she’s a mysterious woman who’s close lipped about her past—and so you’ll need to work with your GM to have a stronger relationship at the campaign’s outset.
Audrahni trusts you, and she’s shared one element of her past with you since befriending you. Choose one of the following questions. At the start of the campaign, the GM will give you a brief answer about Audrahni’s past. Once you know the answer, you should fashion a parallel event in your own PC’s history, creating a shared misery or memory with Audrahni. The fact that you’ve met someone else who had a similar event in their past has bolstered your own resolve, and has granted you a +1 trait bonus to the saving throw determined by the question you select.
“What happened to your parents?”: Grants a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saving throws.
“Where did you grow up?”: Grants a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saving throws.
“What historical figure inspired you the most?”: Grants a +1 trait bonus to Will saving throws.
Once per adventure as a standard action, you may concentrate on the bond you and Audrahni share. The strong emotions brought on by these memories bolster your desire to forge ahead and remain alive, granting you the effects of one of the following spells at a caster level equal to your character level: calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, or lesser restoration.
Close Allies [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 11
You and another PC are close allies—friends, lovers, siblings, or even twins. Work with the other player to build a shared history—both you and the other player must choose Close Allies as a campaign trait, and both must agree to the nature of the relationship between the two characters. (At the GM’s option, more than two PCs can be linked by this trait.) You and your close ally have always supported each other. You might have the tendency to complete each other’s sentences, dress similarly, share the same religion or faith, or have endured a dangerous event together in the past. If you and the other player agree (and have chosen either the siblings or twins option below), you might not even particularly like your close “ally,” yet you still respect them and can utilize this trait’s benefits all the same.
If your relationship with your close ally ends (as a result of death, a parting of ways, or other catastrophe), you immediately lose this campaign trait and replace it with Spirit Touched as a result of your emotional distress.
When you and the other PC agree to take this shared trait, you must also agree on the nature of your characters’ bond by choosing one of the following: friends, lovers, siblings, or twins. If you choose twins, both PCs must be of the same race. If you choose siblings, one or both of you are adopted if you aren’t of the same race.
Whenever you are adjacent to your close ally, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws.
Once per adventure as an immediate action, you may grant your close ally a bonus equal to the result of 1d6 to a single d20 roll. You must have line of sight to your ally to use this ability. You may choose to grant this bonus after your ally has rolled, but must do so before the result of the roll is known.
Intrigued by Thassilon [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 11
The rediscovery of Thassilon’s legacy several years ago was an eye-opener for many, including you. After living so long in the shadow of these enormous ruins, you were intrigued to find out that they were much older than anyone could have guessed and that the runelords who built them may still exist. You’ve made a promise to yourself to uncover all that you can about Thassilon, its runelords, and the mysterious history of that ancient civilization.
You gain Thassilonian as a bonus language, and at 1st level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a bonus skill rank that can only be applied to Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Linguistics, or Use Magic Device.
Once per adventure, you may either take 20 on a Use Magic Device check or activate a charged magic item without expending any charges.
Scion of Legend [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 11
Your character has a personal link or association with one of Varisia’s established heroes. This hero should be a PC you played in a previous campaign (and could be, but need not be, one of the Sihedron Heroes). Your character could be a younger sibling, younger cousin, or even an apprentice of the hero. If enough time has passed, you might be the hero’s child, or your character could have reincarnated from the soul of a hero that died before your character was born.
Choose two skills for which your associated hero has skill ranks. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with both of those skills, and those two skills are class skills for you.
Once per adventure as a free action, you can call upon a previously forgotten bit of advice or lore imparted to you by the hero to gain an insight bonus equal to your class level (minimum +10) to a skill check. You may choose to apply this bonus after you roll the skill check, but must do so before the result of the roll is known.
Spirit Touched [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 11
As a child, you were influenced by overwhelming emotional trauma associated with death or undeath, and that influence marked you for the rest of your life. You may have been possessed by a ghost, had strange dreams in a haunted house, or suffered from an affliction from an undead source. You might even have had a near-death experience, or actually died and been returned to life. Work with your GM to determine the details of how you became spirit touched; she may have suggestions for you to tie your experience more tightly into the themes of the Return of the Runelords Adventure Path.
You gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws made against supernatural attacks, spells, or spell-like abilities from undead creatures.
Once per adventure, you may automatically succeed at a Constitution check to stabilize or a saving throw to remove a negative level.
Time Lost [Link]Source Return of the Runelords Players Guide pg. 11
You’ve always felt separated from the era into which you were born. Perhaps you feel that you were born too late, and that you and your interests are better suited to a previous age. Maybe you have the conviction you were born too soon, and that your true destiny lies in some distant future. You might be suffering from missing time—whether a few hours, a few weeks, or even several months—for which you have no memories. You might instead receive brief visions of friends or enemies much older or younger than their actual age. You’ve long since grown used to this strange condition, but have not yet determined why you suffer from it. Your GM will be provided with additional information about this trait’s strange nature in the third adventure of Return of the Runelords.
You have a knack for knowing when to act a few instants in advance and gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks. Once per adventure as an immediate action, you may use your strange link to the flow of time to force the GM to reroll a single d20 roll. You must declare the use of this ability immediately after the GM rolls the d20, but you can choose to do so after learning the results of the roll.
Rise of the RunelordsEager Performer [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
Hearing that Sandpoint had a theater rivaling those found in large cities like Magnimar and Korvosa, you decided to try your luck getting stage time there. After sending a letter to Cyrdak Drokkus requesting an audition and not hearing back, you’ve taken it upon yourself to travel to Sandpoint and meet him in person, trusting your force of will and charming influence will get you what you want. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks for any one Perform skill. Additionally, choose any one spell of the enchantment school; its save DC increases by +1.
Family Ties (RotRL) [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
While not ethnically a Varisian, you have been raised among Varisians and they consider you one of their own. Furthermore, you managed to get in good with a group of Sczarni and consider them your new family. After being run out of the last place your Sczarni family camped, you tracked down a friend of the family in Sandpoint—a ruthless thug named Jubrayl Vhiski at the Fatman’s Feedbag. During your time with the Sczarni, you learned a few tricks of the trade. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you. In addition, you begin play able to speak and read Varisian.
Friends and Enemies [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
One of your family members, perhaps a parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle, helped Daviren Hosk put down a group of goblins near Sandpoint. Since then, your family member passed away, but not before telling you about that day and the offer Daviren made her should she ever be in need. Once you make it to Sandpoint and meet up with Daviren Hosk at the Goblin Squash Stables, he gives you one of his best steeds and all the necessary accoutrements as gratitude for your family member’s help: a heavy combat trained horse, a military saddle, saddlebags, bit and bridle, a month’s worth of feed, and lifetime stabling at the Goblin Squash Stables.
Giant Slayer [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.
Goblin Watcher [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
You grew up in Sandpoint staring off the cliff across the Varisian Gulf. Spending so much time there at Junker’s Edge watching the goblins below as they scrounged through the discarded junk and seeing what they made out of the garbage, you developed an eye for spotting the most useful and valuable discarded items. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Appraise checks, and a +5 trait bonus on Appraise checks to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard.
Hagfish Hopeful [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
Ever since passing through Sandpoint when you were a child and hearing about the contest at the popular tavern known as the Hagfish, you wanted to take that coin purse as your own and carve your name on the ceiling beam above the bar. Training yourself to choke down indigestible food and drink water a pig would refuse, you’ve built up quite a strong resistance to all things putrid and gross. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Merchant Family [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
You are related to one of the four noble families from Magnimar who founded the Mercantile League of Sandpoint. You either grew up in Magnimar as a cousin in the Valdemar or Deverin family or were born and raised in Sandpoint. Education in running a business and years of looking after the family enterprise have given you a knack for trade. You increase the gp limit of any settlement by 20% and can resell items at an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Monster Hunter [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
Perhaps you came to the Varisian Gulf in search of the Sandpoint Devil, or maybe you followed fisherman’s tales of Old Murdermaw— regardless, you’ve ventured through Varisia to hunt down famous monsters. While they have all eluded you so far, you made it to Sandpoint to research and restock before heading back out into the wilderness. Because of your training, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against aberrations and magical beasts.
Sandpoint Faithful [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 28
As a faithful adherent of Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Sarenrae, or Shelyn, you’ve come to the Swallowtail Festival to celebrate the consecration of Sandpoint Cathedral. You gain a silver holy symbol of your chosen deity, and so long as you worship that deity and openly wear his or her symbol, you regain +1 additional hit point every time you receive magical healing.
Scholar of the Ancients [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.
Student of Faith [Link]Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide pg. 4
While you have personally dedicated your life to a single deity, you study all religions and mortal faiths. Upon hearing that the town of Sandpoint recently completed a cathedral dedicated to the six deities most popular in the area, you had to see the place for yourself, and have arrived in time for the consecration of this holy edifice. Because of your strong faith and broad range of study, you cast all cure spells at +1 caster level, and whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.
Thrill Seeker [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 28
You’ve grown up in or around Sandpoint and are the heir to your family’s modest farm, shop, or fishing boat, but you’ve always dreamed of more. Searching for a taste of excitement, you’ve come into town to participate in this year’s Swallowtail festival. The thrill of danger grants you an additional +5 feet of movement during the first round of any combat. Additionally, you begin play with three star candle fireworks (see Ultimate Equipment).
Ruins of AzlantAthletic [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 9
You have always had a knack for physical activity. You either grew up in a rural area and had an active childhood where you were always climbing trees, swimming in lakes and rivers, and clambering up rocky hillsides, or you competed in and excelled at contests or sports while growing up in a larger settlement. Due to this background, little can slow you down or inhibit your movements. When the Bountiful Venture Company interviewed you, they noticed your stature and physicality, and they chose you for the colonial expedition knowing that a strong back is always helpful in a growing colony.
You reduce your armor check penalty by a number equal to one-third your character level (minimum 1) for purposes of Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim checks, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to one of these three skills, chosen when you take this trait.
Azlanti Scholar [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 9
You are familiar with an aspect of Azlanti lore. Maybe you first became enamored with this ancient culture after stumbling across a copy of the first volume of the Pathfinder Chronicles or after learning about Azlant in a university or another type of formal education. Perhaps your parents or guardians were scholars and you’ve grown up hearing about and reading about the ancient Azlanti. For years you dreamed about visiting the continent’s ruins and returning with a discovery that could propel your career. Due to this scholarly bent, the Bountiful Venture Company selected you to join the colony at Talmandor’s Bounty.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Use Magic Device checks, and one of these skills is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain Azlanti as a bonus language.
Eagle Knight Recruit [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 9
Since Talmandor’s Bounty is an Andoren colony and is unlikely to see the threat of slavery, the presence of the Eagle Knights isn’t strongly needed, and the Bountiful Venture Company would prefer to not have that organization immediately associated with the colony (despite the colony’s name having been derived from the Eagle Knights’ patron, Talmandor). However, the need for safety can’t be overlooked. You were a soldier in the Andoren army or you were a civilian who showed great promise in military matters. The Eagle Knights recruited you and offered unofficial Eagle Knight status if you managed to make it into the ranks of the colonists. There, you would see to the safety of the colony and send back reports with each supply ship regarding the general state of the colony and any threats you notice. The Bountiful Venture Company admired your military prowess and selected you for the second wave of colonists to arrive at Talmandor’s Bounty.
You begin play with a breastplate, a longsword (or some other martial or simple weapon), and an additional 100 gp of gear. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
Employee [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
You have worked for the Bountiful Venture Company or you are the child of one of its current employees. This connection helped you get a leg up on the competition to get involved in the establishment of Talmandor’s Bounty. The company didn’t want nepotism to show through too strongly, so you weren’t included in the first wave of colonists and instead have been selected to accompany the second wave of colonists to the island. You don’t want people to know that you’re part of the company, but your contacts in the Bountiful Venture Company didn’t necessarily tell you that you needed to keep it a secret.
You begin play with an additional 150 gp of equipment and know (at least in some capacity) one of the other company employees: Lyra Heatherly, Perrell Beys, or Ramona Avandth. Due to your association with the Bountiful Venture Company, your words and ideas may carry additional weight with the other employees of the company. (Your GM can grant a +1 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks in regards to these people in certain situations.) In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
Expert Explorer [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
Adventurous scholars raised you, or perhaps you were born during an expedition and haven’t known any other life. You get fidgety and impatient when you become too familiar with a certain place. You are used to having excitement and the quest for knowledge guides your path in life, and you picked up a number of skills along the way that relate to this lifestyle. During your interview with the Bountiful Venture Company, they were impressed with the diverse locations you’ve visited in your life and selected you because of your skills in maneuvering uncharted territory.
Choose one Knowledge skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus to check with that Knowledge skill and Survival checks, and either that Knowledge skill or Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you treat the machete as a simple weapon.
Following in the Footsteps [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
One of your dear friends or family members was part of the first wave of colonists to be selected by the Bountiful Venture Company to establish Talmandor’s Bounty. You applied for the first wave as well, but weren’t selected. Now that you’ve made your way into the second wave, you can’t wait to be reunited with your family member. Your devotion to your family or friends is important to you, and it shows not only in how you feel about that friend or family member you are soon to reunite with, but also in how you treat other people with respect.
Whenever you use the aid another action to aid an adjacent ally, increase the bonus you grant your ally by 1. In addition, due to your positive and helpful nature, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Healthy [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
You come from a long line of hale and long-lived people. Growing up, you rarely got sick and had enough energy to run all day if it suited you. You don’t get as tired as other people and repeated physical activities don’t seem to bother you much. You were selected as part of the expedition because the Bountiful Venture Company saw great importance and promise in your robust health.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves, Swim checks to prevent nonlethal damage from fatigue after swimming for more than an hour at a time, and Constitution checks to prevent fatigue. In addition, you can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 times your Constitution score.
Pathfinder Recruit [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
Explore, report, and cooperate. This is the credo you’ve lived by since you’ve joined the Pathfinder Society, and after hearing about the expedition to found Talmandor’s Bounty you applied, eager to see the remains of Azlant. However, you quickly learned that the Bountiful Venture Company wasn’t interested in involving the Pathfinder Society in the formation of the colony. This struck you as strange, because who else has as keen an understanding of some of the elements of ancient Azlant as the Pathfinder Society? Regardless, you went through the application process, making sure to highlight all of your applicable skills and experience while keeping your involvement in the Society to yourself. You were elated to receive notice that you were selected for the second wave of colonists bound for the broken continent of Azlant. You begin play with a standard wayfinder and you gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks.
Resourceful [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
You’ve always had a knack for building and repairing things. As a kid, you always got into your parents’ tools and tinkered with things around the house. As you got older, you started making things not only to entertain yourself but also to take in a little extra money. People have noticed your skill and have frequently come to you to make something for them or to repair a pesky device or item. Every time you’ve amazed them at how quickly you do your work and how few resources you squander in the process. Likewise, the Bountiful Venture Company noticed your skill at not only creating wonderful wares, but also how effortlessly and efficiently you work in your trade. You always seem to make do with less, often in unexpected ways.
Choose one Craft or Profession skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with that skill. In addition, the time required for you to create a magic item is decreased. You require only 8 hours for every 1,500 gp in the item’s base price (instead of the normal 8 hours per 1,000 gp). You can create potions and scrolls whose base price is 375 gp in just 2 hours; potions and scrolls with a base price more than 375 gp but less than 1,500 gp take 8 hours to create, just like any other magic item.
Seasoned Hunter [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
You grew up hunting every season, any season. Maybe you grew up in a rural area and hunted to put food on the table, or perhaps you come from a comfortable lifestyle where hunting for sport is an excellent excuse to camp in the wilderness and hone your skills. After sharing stories of your most exciting hunts and proving to them that you can hit a bull’s eye at 100 feet, the Bountiful Venture Company selected you for the expedition assured that you can provide food and security to the young colony.
Pick one of the following creature types: aberration, animal, magical beast, or vermin. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls or damage rolls (choose one; once chosen it can’t be changed) against creatures of that type.
Set Mind [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
Every time that you’ve said you’d do something, you’ve made sure to follow through. You can’t remember a time when you weren’t this way. People have a hard time making you change your mind once you’ve set yourself on a certain path. You might be exceptionally stubborn or you may just have a particular determination. Either way, you’re going to keep doing what you set your mind to. The Bountiful Venture Company recognized this useful trait of yours and selected you for the second wave of colonists because of your great resolve and unswerving dedication to what you set your mind upon.
Once per day when you fail a saving throw against a charm or compulsion effect that would cause you to act differently than you normally would, you can immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
Skillful [Link]Source Ruins of Azlant Player's Guide pg. 10
You’ve always been interested in a wide array of things, and growing up you’ve spent time honing some of these talents, which has helped you in life. Some have attributed your successes to luck, but others have recognized what you truly have— skill. This interest in and practice of a diverse array of skills and abilities has served you well in a number of different jobs, and following in your varied interests you learned of the expedition to the ruins of Azlant. After your application, the Bountiful Venture Company selected you for the expedition because your skillful approach to matters would be helpful for a growing colony.
Once per day when you fail an Acrobatics, Climb, Spellcraft, Stealth, or Use Magic Device check, you can immediately reroll that check as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
Second DarknessDaring Doomsayer [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 29
The end times are coming, and the shadow in the sky over Riddleport is just the first piece of proof. Convinced that the end of the world is nigh, you’ve decided to take part in the Golden Goblin’s gambling tournament—after all, what do you have to lose? Whenever you roll a “1” on an attack roll, you gain a +1 trait bonus on your next attack roll so long as it is made within 1 minute. You also begin play with a placard bearing an apocalyptic slogan of your choice—this wooden sign can be used as a club.
Fixer of Odds [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 29
You’re going to win the Golden Goblin’s upcoming “Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold” tournament one way or the other. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Profession (gambling) checks, and creatures searching you for objects hidden on your body don’t gain the usual +4 bonus on their Perception checks. Additionally, you begin play with a “fixed” six-sided die (it has two “6s” and no “1”) and a dagger.
Fools for Friends [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 14
You don’t think of yourself as a gambler. In fact, you rather detest the whole thing. Unfortunately, one or more of your friends (pick one or more of the other players’ characters) doesn’t think so, and you’ve recently learned that friend—or friends—have decided to go to the Gold Goblin’s “Cheat the Devil and Take his Gold” tournament. Which pretty much means you have to go as well, since if no one’s there to watch out for them, they’ll lose all their money and respect. Again. Sometimes it’s hard being the responsible one. Your devotion to your friendships (even when said friends seem, at times, to be trying to test that devotion) is a point of pride to you. Whenever you take the Aid Another action to help an ally, or whenever an ally aids you in this manner, a successful check grants an additional +1 trait bonus to the check for which aid was being rendered. Additionally, as long as one of your friends is within 30 feet, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.
Into Enemy Territory [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 15
The shadow in the sky is visible from all around Riddleport, not just in town. It’s certainly come to the attention of several druids, rangers, and other rural folk who dwell in the nearby mountains, forests, and swamps—among them, yourself. You’ve consulted with several seers and Harrowers, and may even have performed some simple auguries yourself, and all the signs point the same way—something or someone in Riddleport is connected to the blot, and it means bad news for the region. You’ve avoided the sleazy, dirty town for most of your life, traveling there only when absolutely necessary, and although you don’t relish the prospect of going there now, you see little other choice (especially if one of your superiors is ordering you to go investigate). Fortunately, an eccentric friend of yours (pick another PC) is in town, and you’ve heard this friend will be taking part in some gambling thing at a place called the Gold Goblin. Your friend’s always had better luck interacting with the cityfolk, so you’ve decided to accompany your friend to this gambling tournament and plan on letting him find a safe place for you to stay while you’re in town. Your long life of self-sustenance has toughened you and made you more resistant to hardship, in any event—pick one of the three categories of saving throw. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws of that type.
Looking for Work [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 15
Although out of work, you aren’t particularly keen on the prospect of gambling away your last remaining coins simply for a chance at riches. That said, if the Gold Goblin’s fortunes reverse after this big gambling tournament, you’re relatively certain its owner, Saul Vancaskerkin, will be needing to hire on some new staff members. You’ve secured payment for the tournament, and intend on attending mostly to check the place out, to decide if it’s a place you’d want to work at (as a bouncer, bartender, croupier, server, entertainer, spotter, or cook), and hopefully get a chance to catch Saul’s eye and make an impression. You’ve long worked at honing your skills, and are quite accomplished and certain that you have something to offer. Pick one of the following skills: Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform (any), Profession (gambler), or Spot. You gain a +1 trait bonus in that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
Optimistic Gambler [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 15
You’ve always seemed to have trouble keeping money. Worse, you always seem to have debts looming over your head. When you heard about the “Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold” gambling tournament, you felt in your gut that your luck was about to change. You’ve always been optimistic, in fact, and even though right now is one of those rare times where you don’t owe anyone any money (you just paid off a recent loan from local moneylender Lymas Smeed), you know that’ll change soon enough. Better to start amassing money now when you’re at one of those rare windfall times! You’ve set aside a gold coin for the entrance fee, and look forward to making it big—you can feel it in your bones! This time’s gonna be the big one! Your boundless optimism, even in the face of crushing situations, has always bolstered your spirit. Effects that grant you morale bonuses persist 1d4 rounds longer than they normally would as a result.
Portentous Perception [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 29
You’ve come (or been sent) to Riddleport to observe the strange Blot that has appeared in the city’s sky. You’ve decided to put your keen senses to the test at the Golden Goblin’s upcoming gambling competition while you’re here. Your sharp eyesight makes it easier for you to notice things at a distance. For you, Perception checks only start increasing in difficulty at a range of 20 feet or farther, as opposed to the normal 10. This has no effect on checks made to perceive things within 10 feet.
Researching the Blot [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 15
You may or may not be seeking membership into Riddleport’s most prestigious magical guild, the Order of Cyphers, but you certainly have heard their call for aid in determining the nature of the strange shadow in the sky above Riddleport. You arrived in town several days ago and had some issues with security and safety at several inns before you finally settled on the Gold Goblin; you’ve been staying there as a guest for several days now, and the owner, Saul Vancaskerkin, seems like a nice guy. He’s even given you a pass to attend the gambling tournament he’s about to throw—you’re not sure how into gambling you’ll be, but perhaps there’ll be some visitors from out of town you can talk to about the strange shadow in the sky. At the very least, you’re hoping someone at the tourney will be into magic—there’s not really enough folk in this town who seem all that interested in magic, you’ve found. Your interest in magic dates back quite far, and as a result, you’ve developed a knack for identifying common magical items at a glance. You can use Spellcraft to identify magic items in the same way you can use Spellcraft to identify a potion. The DC to identify a magic item is equal to 20 + the item’s caster level.
Scouting for Fiends [Link]Source Second Darkness Player's Guide pg. 15
You belong to an organization (most likely a religion) that has definite views on the menace posed by the lower planes. The willfulness with which the city of Korvosa (they even allow a temple of Asmodeus to operate in broad daylight!) tolerates infernal influences is, to you and your organization, the greatest symbol of what’s wrong with civilization today. And now, in Riddleport, there’s news that a gambling tournament is using devils and Hell as an idle decoration. It’s likely that this is just an example of poor taste, but there’s a chance that something sinister may be lurking beneath the goings-on at the Gold Goblin. You have been contacted by your organization (or may have decided on your own) to travel to Riddleport (if you don’t already live there) and attend this tournament under the guise of a patron. Keep an eye on things there, even after the tournament is over; if you can, get a job working for the owner. Demons and devils can be subtle, and it could take weeks or even months to find proof of their involvement. Your near-obsessive hatred of all things fiendish grants you a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls made against foes you know to be evil outsiders.
Serpent's SkullBoarded in Cheliax [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 10
While you aren’t necessarily a native of Cheliax, you boarded the Jenivere at one of that country’s port cities. As the people of Cheliax generally know the Mwangi Expanse as a near legendary land home to strange beasts and exotic treasures, your views of the region have a distinctly romantic tinge, and the desire for fame, wealth, and adventure likely motivate your travels. You begin the campaign with a detailed map of the Mwangi Expanse (this grants +2 competence bonus on all Knowledge [geography] checks made regarding this region) and 200 gp worth of mundane equipment to aid your exploration of the jungle.
Boarded in Mediogalti [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 10
Your travels have brought you to the Jenivere through the dangerous port of Ilizmagorti, home to both pirates and assassins. Perhaps you’re fleeing a price on your head, perhaps you’ve jumped ship from another vessel, or perhaps you’re merely looking for a new start in a land where the dangers make themselves more obvious. Your familiarity with subtle slayings and toxins grants you a +2 trait bonus on all saves against poison. In addition, you can pick one type of poison listed below to be immune to, having undergone a long and painful process of building up an immunity to its effects: blue whinnis, giant wasp poison, medium spider venom, small centipede poison, or spider vine poison (a poison derived from a toxic plant native to the Mwangi Expanse).
Boarded in Mwangi Expanse [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
You boarded the Jenivere in the Mwangi Expanse, where you’ve lived or recently traveled through. You harbor no illusions regarding the deadliness of the jungles, the creatures that inhabit it, or the peoples that make their home therein. You gain Polyglot as a bonus language and receive a +1 trait bonus on all Knowledge (nature) checks regarding the jungle.
Boarded in the Shackles [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
Your last home was in the Shackles, a dangerous land of pirates and treachery, but also of fantastic opportunity. A life of weal and woe on the sea and amid the pirate controlled lands has toughened you to a variety of hardships. Pick one of the three categories of saving throws—you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws of that type.
Boarded in Varisia [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
Traveling from lands far to the north, you likely have little experience with the jungle, its denizens, or its strange forces. Just as the lands of Garund are wild and exotic to you, so are you to them. This unusualness manifests in one of two ways. Choose to gain either a +2 trait bonus on all Bluff checks made against inhabitants of the jungle, or treat your spells with the mind-affecting descriptor as being +1 caster level higher when cast against creatures and natives of the jungle.
Colonial [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
You come from a long line of Sargavan colonists, stretching back to Cheliax’s original expansion into the land during the Everwar. While your people’s control of Sargava wanes every day, and Eleder has functioned independently from Cheliax since House Thrune brought diabolism to the political forefront, you nevertheless maintain a hardy Chelish constitution and natural sense of survival. What took you away from home is up to you, but you return to the land of your birth on the Jenivere in the hope of putting Sargava back on the map. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks relating to Sargavan settlements and politics and a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against disease.
Characters with this trait are Sargavan natives and might be returning via any city, but especially from the Chelish ports of Kintargo, Pezzack, or Corentyn.
Get the Cargo Through [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
Sea trade is never safe, even on the highly trafficked waters of the Inner Sea, but the way to Eleder is more perilous still. The ever-present hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego blows hundreds of ships each year off course, into jagged rocks, or directly to the sea floor. Pirates operating out of the Shackles Isles wait on the other side to take cargo from ships lucky enough to traverse or bypass the storm. Your job is to ensure a precious cargo aboard the Jenivere arrives safely in Eleder—what form this cargo takes and the nature of your relationship to it are up to you and your GM. Your character’s history as a merchant or mercenary has earned her a respectable living, and you begin the campaign with an additional 300 gp in starting wealth.
Characters with this trait likely boarded in Magnimar, Corentyn, Ilizmagorti, Port Peril, or Bloodcove.
Jenivere Crew [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
This trip to Eleder is just one of many in a long career as a sailor aboard the Jenivere and other cargo vessels. Whether you joined the crew with the hope of one day captaining your own ship, as the means of paying your way to a foreign port with sweat and blood, or as a slave or indentured servant, you now call the ship home. Pick one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (geography), Swim, or Survival. You gain a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and that skill is always treated as a class skill for you.
Characters with this trait have likely been on the Jenivere since it departed Magnimar.
Mwangi Scholar [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
The Mwangi Expanse is one of the richest regions in all of Golarion, and also one of the most mysterious. Despite its history of countless years and its fostering of nameless empires, very little is known of the Mwangi Expanse by outsiders or even natives of the primeval, jungle-covered land. You have long studied the region and its lore, and count yourself among a small handful of genuine experts throughout the Inner Sea. The Jenivere promises to take you to the very subject of your fascination, and you eagerly await firsthand investigation of the deep jungles and cyclopean ruins of Garund’s interior. You gain Polyglot as a bonus language and receive a +1 trait bonus on all Knowledge (history) checks regarding the Mwangi Expanse.
Characters with this trait likely boarded the Jenivere in Ilizmagorti or one of the cities of the Shackles or the Mwangi Expanse.
Stowaway [Link]Source Serpent's Skull Player's Guide pg. 11
Not all passengers on seafaring vessels are legal or even known to the captain and crew, and the Jenivere is no exception. Whether too poor to book legal passage on the ship or fearing discovery by customs officials in your home port, you or an ally stowed away on the ship in secret. This may mean that the crew doesn’t know you’re on board, or perhaps they do now but didn’t when the ship set sail. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks and Survival checks to find food.
Characters with this trait might have boarded the Jenivere at any port, but especially in the cities of the Shackles.
Shattered StarAlabaster Outcast [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 30, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 4
You are a member of one of Magnimar’s wealthiest families… or rather, you used to be. A falling-out left you disowned and disinherited. Now you hope to get away from the city and find fortune enough to shame your former kinsfolk—goals which led you to the Pathfinder Society. Despite your exile, your name still carries considerable weight in Magnimar, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made within the city. Additionally, you start play with a noble’s outfit, a signet ring, and a single additional nonmagical item worth no more than 200 gp. Your last name is probably Derexhi, Kaddren, Mindurian, Niroden, Scarnetti, Valdemar, Vanderale, or Versade (but may be another of your choosing; see Magnimar, City of Monuments).
Exchange Agent [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 31, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 4
Although you’re a relative newcomer to Magnimar, you’re not some naive stranger. You’ve been sent by the Pathfinder Society lodge in your home country to learn more about Varisia by experiencing the frontier firsthand. After arriving, you reported to the Magnimar lodge and placed your expertise at the venture-captain’s disposal. To represent your experience in distant lands, choose a country other than Varisia as your homeland and gain one of the languages spoken in that country as a bonus language (see The Inner Sea World Guide). Additionally, choose one of the following skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (geography), Linguistics, or Survival. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks made with this skill and it is always a class skill for you.
Ex-Sczarni [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 30, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 4
Though you were raised as a member of one of Magnimar’s various Sczarni gangs, you never fit in with the rest of your settled, metropolitan brethren. The Pathfinder Society in particular recognized your wanderlust and potential as an agent, and on more than one occasion you impressed or bamboozled their agents with your street smarts and finesse. Over the years, you fell out of favor with the Sczarni, and eventually left to pursue interests outside of simple banditry, though you still remember the lessons your criminal relations taught you. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks to pass hidden messages. Also, anytime you deliver a coup de grace, you deal an additional 1d6 points of damage.
Monument Scholar [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 31, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 4
As a child in Magnimar, the city’s ancient monuments inspired you with wonder. Your fascination with these relics has only grown in the years since, encouraging you to join the ranks of the Pathfinder Society so you can further quench your thirst for knowledge. Though you know little about the actual lore of the monuments, you’ve studied these colossal works extensively, developing an in-depth knowledge of some of the city’s most famous landmarks. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) checks made in Varisia due to your familiarity with its historical remnants. This bonus increases to +2 if the check relates to the city of Magnimar. Additionally, you gain a +2 trait bonus on any skill check made to receive a boon from one of Magnimar’s magically imbued monuments (see Magnimar, City of Monuments for more details).
Nontraditional Native [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 31, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 4
You are a member of the Shoanti or Varisian ethnicity who left your people to learn more about the mysteries of your strange homeland. Your travels have recently brought you to the Pathfinder lodge in Magnimar. Although none of your family members are present, you carry them and your family traditions with you.
If you are a Varisian, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (geography) checks made relating to Varisia and gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls made during the surprise round when you’re wielding a bladed scarf or starknife.
If you are a Shoanti, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Survival checks made while in Varisia and gain a +1 trait bonus on rolls to confirm critical hits made using an earth breaker or a klar.
Ruin Raider [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 31, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 5
While the mercantile industries of Magnimar appeal to your keen eye for monetary gain, you know that the boldest route to true fortune lays in hunting down rare relics and selling them to the highest bidder. Becoming a Pathfinder seemed like an obvious decision, allowing you to travel throughout Varisia in your search for wealth, so you signed up right away. You brought with you a sharp eye and keen ability to distinguish fakes from the genuine article. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise checks. Additionally, you gain a +4 bonus on Perception checks made to distinguish statue-like creatures (like caryatid columns and gargoyles) from actual sculptures.
Serpent Runner [Link]Source Varisia, Birthplace of Legends pg. 31, Shattered Star Player's Guide pg. 5
You’ve participated in the mock gladiatorial battles and athletic feats at the Serpent’s Run, Magnimar’s grand hippodrome, but the safe nature of those games leaves you bored. Seeking greater thrills and tests of your abilities, you’ve pledged your arms and skill to the local Pathfinder lodge. Choose one of the following benefits to represent the techniques you learned from your time at the Serpent’s Run: - Choose a specific type of armor. When wearing armor of that type, you treat its armor check penalty as if it were –1 lower.
- When fighting with two weapons, the penalty imposed on your primary weapon is reduced by 1.
- You gain a +2 trait bonus on Intimidate checks to demoralize opponents.
Skull & ShacklesAncient Explorer [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 4
You are a student of the ancient history of Golarion, and you’ve come to the Shackles to explore the crumbling and vine-choked ruins of the cyclops empire of Ghol-Gan, which have lain abandoned among the isles of the Shackles for thousands of years. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain Cyclops or Polyglot as a bonus language.
You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid in Port Peril last night to meet a contact who supposedly had an old map of lost cyclops ruins to sell, but the drink was stronger than you had expected and you passed out before making the deal.
Barroom Talespinner [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 5
You grew up listening to tales of adventure and piracy on the high seas and the sea chanteys of old salts in dockside dives. You learned all about what it’s like to be a pirate by talking with the sailors on shore leave, and learned how to tell a tale (or perform some other pirate entertainment) yourself. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks and one category of Perform checks, and one of these skills is a class skill for you. In addition, once per week you can make a DC 15 Knowledge (local) or Intelligence check to see if you know a popular legendary pirate tale, the telling of which grants you a +1 trait bonus on checks made to influence NPCs on the Wormwood.
You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid in Port Peril to earn a few coins with your tales of the sea. The patrons seemed pleased with your performance and bought you a few drinks. You had just remembered a tale of an unfortunate sailor who found himself press-ganged on a pirate ship after his drink was drugged when suddenly everything went black.
Besmara's Blessing [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 5
You were born aboard a ship at sea or down by the docks in a port city on an auspicious day. Old salts and sea dogs nod knowingly and say that Besmara the Pirate Queen, goddess of piracy, sea monsters, and strife, has marked you for a greater destiny. You don’t know anything about that, but you’ve always felt more at home on the sea than on land, and your keen eyes can easily pick out a sail on the distant horizon. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Profession (sailor) checks. In addition, once per week you can reroll a Profession (sailor) check and take the higher result (you must announce that you are using this ability before the results of the check are known).
You came to a tavern in Port Peril called the Formidably Maid in search of your fate. You’re not sure how many drinks you had, but they quickly went to your head and you passed out on the table before you found your destiny—unless it lay in the bottom of a bottle. Then again, maybe you found your destiny after all...
Buccaneer's Blood [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 5
One of your ancestors was an infamous Free Captain of the Shackles, whose very name struck fear in the hearts of those who sailed the seas in search of an honest living. Piracy is in your blood, and you’ve always longed to follow in your forebear’s footsteps and plunder the shipping lanes. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate and Profession (sailor) checks. In addition, you gain a one-time +1 trait bonus to your Disrepute and Infamy scores (see “The Life of a Pirate” in Pathfinder Adventure Path #55 for details on the Infamy system).
You went to a tavern called the Formidably Maid, a notorious pirate hangout in Port Peril, eager to start your career as a buccaneer. While you were there, however, a dashing and flirtatious corsair caught your eye, and after a whirlwind night of booze and romance, you found yourself beaten senseless and stuffed in a sack, carried off to who knows where.
Dockside Brawler [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 6
You grew up on the dangerous docks of one of the Shackles’ numerous ports or anchorages, and quickly learned that fists often make a better point than fancy words, especially when used the right way. You’ve always preferred action to talk, anyway. You gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls with brass knuckles (Advanced Player’s Guide 176) and improvised weapons.
While drinking at a tavern called the Formidably Maid in Port Peril last night, you got into a brawl with some of the other patrons. You handled yourself well, but a group of rough-looking characters ganged up on you and overwhelmed you, knocking you unconscious. Fortunately, you were able to conceal your brass knuckles when you were press-ganged, and you begin the campaign with them, regardless of your starting circumstances.
Eye for Plunder [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 6
You’ve always had a keen eye for the glitter of gold or silver, and you’ve robbed enough rich merchants and raided enough ships to have a feel for where the most valuable plunder is hidden. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Perception checks to find concealed or secret objects (including doors and traps). In addition, you begin the campaign with a selection mundane trade goods worth 50 gp that you were able to scrounge together during your first day on the Wormwood.
You found yourself relatively well off when you got your share of your last voyage’s plunder, and decided to spend a few of your hard-won coins at the Formidably Maid, a popular pirate tavern in Port Peril. Maybe the shine of your new wealth distracted you, however, because you never saw the miscreants who slipped something into your drink, knocking you out cold.
Ilizmagorti Native [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 6
You grew up in the city of Ilizmagorti on Mediogalti Island, a pirate port infamous for both the scoundrels who visit it and the feared Red Mantis assassins who run it. You’ve been around pirates all your life, but you’ve learned to be wary in your dealings with people, as there’s no telling who might be a Red Mantis in disguise. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you. In addition, your familiarity with the pirate’s life allows you to make untrained Knowledge (local) checks regarding pirates or the region of the Shackles.
Looking to make your fortune, you hopped aboard a pirate ship in Ilizmagorti, and decided to celebrate your safe arrival in Port Peril with a few drinks at a tavern called the Formidably Maid. There were some suspiciouslooking characters there, to be sure, and you decided to give them a wide berth, but as you left, feeling a bit woozy from drink, you were set upon by thugs in a dark alley and knocked unconscious.
Peg Leg [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 6
One of your legs was bitten off below the knee by a shark when you were just a child, and was replaced with a wooden peg leg (Pathfinder Player Companion: Pirates of the Inner Sea 20). You’ve long since gotten used to your prosthesis, however, and take none of the normal penalties from having a peg leg. You’ve had to learn to deal with the pain of your injury as well, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves. Ever since your accident you’ve hated sharks, and you also gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls against sharks and other animals with the aquatic subtype.
Your balance always gets a bit shaky after a few drinks, and last night at the Formidably Maid—a tavern in Port Peril—was no exception. That must be why you fell to the floor as soon as you tried to stand up. What happened next is hazy, but you’re pretty sure you were dragged out of the bar and onto a ship at the docks. At least they didn’t throw you to the sharks...
Ship's Surgeon [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 7
On a ship, a sailor often has to learn multiple skills, and this rule certainly applies to you. Your father was a woodworker, and you learned your first trade from him. But on your first voyage at sea you quickly found out that a carpenter is often a ship’s doctor as well—after all, who knows more about sawing off limbs than someone who saws wood for a living? People are a lot bloodier than wood, that’s for sure, but you haven’t had many complaints—those sailors who have enjoyed your services are either happy to be alive or dead, and there’s old salts who swear the peg legs you for made them are better than the real legs they used to have. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Craft (carpentry) and Heal checks, and Heal is a class skill for you.
You were between ships in Port Peril, and after stopping for a drink at a tavern called the Formidably Maid, you happened upon a damsel in distress in the alleyway outside. Thinking you could help, you didn’t notice the thugs hiding nearby, and they caught you unawares. You’ve been on enough ships to know a press gang by the blow of the sap on the back of your neck—you just hope whatever ship you end up on needs a surgeon. Although the majority of your equipment was taken away when you were press-ganged, you managed to hang on to a fully stocked healer’s kit, and you begin the campaign with it, regardless of your starting circumstances.
Touched by the Sea [Link]Source Skull and Shackles Player's Guide pg. 7
You’ve always felt the call of the sea and your blood surges with the ebb and flow of the tides. Perhaps one of your parents was a sailor or pirate, or maybe one of your ancestors had a bit of aquatic elf or undine blood in them. Whatever the reason, you’re as comfortable in the water as you are on land. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks and Swim is a class skill for you. In addition, penalties on attack rolls made underwater are lessened by 1.
You came to Port Peril in search of your destiny, and after a few drinks at a tavern called the Formidably Maid, you went down to the docks to take in a view of the sea. The last thing you remember is a blow to the back of your head and the waves rushing up to meet you.
Strange AeonsDriven By Guilt [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 8
You awake after your ordeal with a lingering feeling that you have taken part in something outside the normal bounds of your morals. Whether you were corrupted at one point or compelled to perform some forgotten actions, this guilt drives you to fight against those forces in the world that prey upon the good. You see your present condition as a chance to redeem yourself and banish this unsettling emotion.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against any spells or spell-like abilities cast by evil creatures. In addition, once per day as a swift action, you can add your Charisma bonus to your attack rolls and deal 1 additional point of damage for each class level you have against evil creatures for 1 round. You must have a good alignment to take this trait.
Enduring Stoicism [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
Even though your pulse is pounding in your ears when you awake in the asylum, you feel strangely nonplussed. You can recognize that the situation you find yourself in is horrific, but you refuse to let that fear control you. It doesn’t feel like it’s worth worrying over too much. You know that when you face unspeakable forces, keeping your cool will keep you alive.
You gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against spells or effects with the fear or emotion descriptors. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks due to your intimidating presence, as people don’t know what to expect from you.
Foe of the Strange [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
You awake feeling emboldened after a terrifying nightmare. Instead of being frightened by the bizarre creatures from your nightmares, these experiences have steeled you against these startling alien beings. You know that you fell victim to strange circumstances and loathsome forces, but you refuse to give in to a creeping sense of helplessness. Instead, you vow to fight back against whoever or whatever is responsible for your current situation. The creatures of your nightmares won’t hold fear over your head. You’ll take the fight to them.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against extraordinary, spell-like, and supernatural abilities of aberrations (for example, a gibbering mouther’s gibbering or an intellect devourer’s confusion). In addition, whenever you’re confused and roll to determine behavior in a given round, subtract 10 from the result.
Formerly Mind-Swapped [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
You awake with a strange sensation beyond the frightening experience of extensive memory loss. Full recollections of the experience—like so many others—have been wiped from your mind, but at some point in your past your mind was swapped with that of a yithian, an alien being from beyond time and space. You don’t remember details of your experiences wandering the yithians’ peculiar city in a foreign body— and even worry whether this might be some strange hallucination— but every so often, a flash of insight strikes you as a result of this experience. You know that you can rely on these alien flashbacks during your investigation into your current situation, as it gives you greater perspective into an otherwise confusing world.
Once per day, you can reroll one Knowledge check that you have just failed. In addition, you can attempt untrained Knowledge checks with DCs up to 20 instead of 10.
Methodical Mind [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
When you awake with nothing but hazy memories, you begin carefully cataloging your thoughts to determine the reasons for your condition and where you might be. This comforts you, and you know deep down that you have always relied on your ordered mind and pragmatic approach to face challenges. You use this focus and sensibility to your advantage as you investigate your current dire situation.
Choose three Knowledge skills. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge checks of these kinds and on concentration checks. In addition, choose one Knowledge skill. When researching, you are considered to have Skill Focus for that Knowledge skill when determining what die you roll to reduce a library’s knowledge points (kp).
Pugnacious [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
You awake in the asylum with sore muscles and bloody knuckles, as if you were recently in a fight. You even have a vague feeling that you won. You can’t explain it, but you know that you’ve always been easy to set off, and your first instinct when pressed into a corner is to lash out. Stuck in the asylum sets you on edge, and you not only want to figure out what happened to you, you want to free yourself and find whoever did this to you—and make them pay.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls when threatened by two or more enemies. In addition, once per day you can gain one of the following effects as an immediate action: You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet for 1 round, or you can treat your weapon as one size category larger than it actually is for purposes of determining damage for 1 round.
Ritualistic [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 9
You awake with a sense of purpose and a tingle of magical power. Though it’s unsettling that you can’t recall your past, you have a hunch that if you and your companions do everything just right—follow the correct steps and order—the answers will reveal themselves and you will be free of your condition. You get the feeling that you’ve always fallen back on careful planning and time-tested evidence in the past, but a nagging sensation also tells you that you used these skills in less-than-kind ways all too recently.
Choose one 0-level spell. You can cast this spell once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. The spell-like ability’s save DC is Charisma-based. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all skill checks when performing occult rituals.
Sensitive Mind [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 10
You awake in the asylum horribly aware of dangers lurking nearby. While your memories are hazy and indistinct, everything around you looks vibrant and clear. You have an inkling that you have always been perceptive and can tell a lot about a person even in a quick meeting. This sensitivity can overwhelm you at times, especially in your current situation.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise, Perception, and Sense Motive checks, and one of these (your choice) is a class skill for you. In addition, once per week you can use the psychometry occult skill unlock even if you are not capable of casting psychic spells or have the Psychic Sensitivity feat.
True Devotion [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 10
You wake from your recent ordeal with a sense of shame, as if you had sinned deeply against your morals and beliefs. However, you feel a bit of relief as well, as if your god had granted you a second chance. You not only have a drive to figure out what happened to you, but an urge to fight back against the unspeakable forces of evil. If, during the course of your investigation, you discover that you took part in unsavory activities that would normally be opposed to your faith or alignment, this event no longer has any impact with your standing in the eyes of your god due to your renewed righteous convictions.
Once per day when casting a divine spell, you can attempt to cast the spell without losing the spell from its spell slot or using one of your allotted spells per day. There is a 20% chance that this attempt is successful. In addition, select one domain or inquisition you have. You can use the first granted power of that domain or inquisition one additional time per day. You must have a good alignment and be class capable of casting divine spells in order to select this trait.
Twitchy [Link]Source Strange Aeons Player's Guide pg. 10
Your first thought upon awaking in the asylum isn’t confusion over why you can’t remember anything clearly—it’s a sudden urge to find safety. You feel like everything around you, aside from your companions, might threaten you and you’re always ready to react. You have a hard time staying still, and you’re constantly surveying your surroundings. Maybe you are paranoid, or maybe it’s just an overactive imagination, but whatever it is, you know that keeping these feelings honed will help you stay alive.
You gain a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks and a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves.
Tyrant's GraspThe Artisan [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 6
Precision is important in getting exactly what you want, and you give careful consideration in building everything from homes and vases to roads and empires. Your own attention to detail has proven vital in rebuilding Roslar’s Coffer from the orc occupation a decade ago, whether you are an accountant, architect, engineer, or herbalist. Your attention to detail provides you a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Heal checks, and one of these skills becomes a class skill for you. Once per day, you can spend a full round casting a spell you can cast that has a normal casting time of 1 standard action to increase your effective caster level for that spell by 1. This ability has no affect on spells with a casting time other than 1 standard action.
The Lawbringer [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
The frontier is a land of risk and disorder, and while people are welcome to brave those elements themselves, they all too often bring pain down upon folk who never wanted such a risk. You might serve on the town guard or as part of a detachment of soldiers supported by Vigil, or you could be simply a concerned farmer who endures when others cannot, but your purpose is to stand as a bulwark against the cruel whims of fate for anyone who needs it. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against fear effects. If you have the aura of courage class feature, the bonus provided by your aura increases by 1. Your courage is inspiring; the first time each day you are knocked unconscious or killed, all allies within 30 feet of you immediately gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your level plus your Charisma modifier, as they rally to your defense. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.
The Optimist [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
People don’t need to take your word that things are getting better; they only need to look around and see the proof before their eyes. The town’s recovery from the orc occupation more than a decade ago is all but complete, and the monster in the Sarenite temple outside of town has finally been bested. Your irrepressible sense of optimism seems to fly in the face of the hard life that most residents of Roslar’s Coffer face, but you’re convinced that your positive attitude lifts up your community. You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects. Further, your optimism can be infectious. As a swift action a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), you can grant this bonus to an ally within 10 feet. This bonus lasts for 1 minute.
The Outsider [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
You don’t have a place, but the frontier seems comfortable enough for now. Maybe you’re too informal for city life, too selfish for Lastwall’s general culture of camaraderie, or too scarred by things you’ve seen to entirely trust another person. You are accustomed to moving without drawing much attention to yourself, gaining a +1 trait bonus on Stealth and Survival checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. Accustomed to working alone, you gain only half the benefit (+1) from aid another actions, but you’re accustomed to doing the job right the first time and so increase the bonus you provide by 1 when aiding another character.
The Pessimist [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
You expect the worst and have rarely been disappointed. Your dour outlook may hail from the original destruction of Roslar’s Coffer at the hands of the Twisted Nail tribe, the exile of the faithful from the nearby Sarenite temple, or some more personal misfortune, but it has set you apart among the largely forward-thinking population of Lastwall. Your faith that the worst possible outcome will occur grants you a +1 trait bonus on Will saving throws. Your frustrating pessimism can spur friends to succeed just to spite you; once per day as a free action, you can force an ally within 30 feet to reroll a saving throw she just failed, using the better of the two results.
The Reclaimer [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
You lost something precious in the destruction of Roslar’s Coffer 12 years ago—a home, a legacy, perhaps even family—but returned because a soul shouldn’t run from pain, but heal from it. Rebuilding your life and preventing that same hurt from dragging down others drives you to serve and protect, perhaps as a politician, charity worker, healer, or soldier, but that same loss fills you with an uncharitable anger that is often difficult to reconcile. Your wary eyes grant you a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack and damage rolls against any opponent that dealt hit point damage to one of your allies in the previous round.
The Snoop [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
You know a little bit about most everything and everyone in Roslar’s Coffer. It may be your profession, as you could be an archivist, crier, or librarian—or you simply make a hobby of gossip. Either way, you have a gift for recall and reading others. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) checks, and these both become class skills for you. Once each day you can reroll a single Bluff or Sense Motive check against a creature you have known for at least 24 hours, using the better result.
The Word [Link]Source Tyrant's Grasp Player's Guide pg. 7
In a nation overcrowded with faith, you often worry that your message is drowned out, but nonetheless important. The souls in Roslar’s Coffer needed comfort and charity once upon a time, but have bounced back so fully—in part thanks to your hard work—that you worry you’ve made yourself unnecessary. You are accustomed to long hours, granting you a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws. Your faith is invigorating, and once per day you can lay on hands as a paladin of half your character level (minimum 1). If you gain the lay on hands ability from a class, you instead gain one additional use of lay on hands each day.
War for the CrownAthletic Champion [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 8
Your physique and skill brought you into the public eye, and a winning smile helps you stay there. Taldor honors its extraordinary athletes, celebrating them as cultural heroes. Whether you were a gladiator, a runner, a wrestler, or any other competitor, your most recent victory caused someone important to sit up and take notice. You may never have a political career in front of you, but for now your name is helping to bring a little extra money in, and maybe that’s good enough. Select two of the following skills: Climb, Diplomacy, Perception, and Swim. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with those skills, and they are always class skills for you. In addition, you are accustomed to maneuvering through crowds; you gain a +2 trait bonus on checks to navigate through a crowd or resist being moved against your will, including spells and bull rush, drag, and reposition combat maneuvers.
Child of Oppara [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 8
You belong to a noble family that matters in Taldor, though as the story begins you may or may not be on good terms with your relatives. Your upbringing among the city’s well-to-do gives you an upper hand when it comes to knowledge of high society, and you start the game with a modest inheritance. With Princess Eutropia’s efforts to provide for Taldor’s common citizens and overturn years of tradition, new lines are being quietly drawn in the sand, and you have found yourself embroiled in these intrigues whether you intended to be or not.
With this trait, the assumption is that you belong to a minor noble family (and can make up your family name). In this case, your family keeps a small manor in Aroden’s View or Senate’s Hill. If you want to be a member of one of Oppara’s major noble families, you must take the Noble Scion feat at 1st level.
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Knowledge (nobility) checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. The Noble Scion feat (see the sidebar) does not have a Charisma prerequisite for you. In addition, you start play with a noble’s outfit, a signet ring, and a single additional nonmagical item worth no more than 200 gp.
Disgraced Noble [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 9
Your noble family used to matter, until your father took a stand against Maxillar Pythareus, the commander of Taldor’s military. True or not, the accusations Pythareus leveled against your family in return destroyed your reputation and isolated you from the society you grew up in. Now the only thing that matters to you is clawing your way back up the social ladder, either for your own quality of life or to clear your family’s name. You’ve had to practice deception as you began working your way back into Taldan social circles; you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks to conceal your identity and a +2 bonus on Linguistics checks to spot or produce forgeries, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. Once each day, you can choose a single humanoid you believe to have been involved in the conspiracy to destroy your family; you gain a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls against that NPC for a number of rounds equal to your character level. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +2.
Rising Star [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 9
All too often, great minds must suffer for their art, but you’re one of the lucky ones. Your skills attracted the attention of a noble patron who pays for your food, housing, and tools. As your patron introduces you to other cultural elites, you’re slowly learning to navigate the treacherous waters of high society, but you still remember the lean times when each meal was a hard-won treasure. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive and Survival checks, as well as checks using a single Craft or Perform skill of your choice; one of these skills is always a class skill for you. Once each day, you can invoke your patron’s reputation or name one of your own prominent works to gain a +2 circumstance bonus on a single Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check. You begin the game with a masterwork musical instrument or tool appropriate to the Craft or Perform skill you selected, a gift from your patron.
Senatorial Hopeful [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 9
While you belong to a noble family, hailing from the outlying prefectures means you lack the pull and wealth needed to rub shoulders with the stars of Oppara’s social scene. Your life has been quiet, isolated from the thrum of fashion and pop culture, but you see this as a source of insight and aim to help people by someday joining the senate. It’ll be a long journey, but you’ve already begun learning which hands to shake and how to listen carefully when others tell you what they want. You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) checks, and both of these skills are always class skills for you. Once each week you can call on family connections to obtain a single piece of equipment or consumable magic item (such as a potion or scroll) worth up to your character level × 25 gp. Delivery of the goods you request takes 1d4 days. At 10th level, the potential value of a magical item increases to your character level × 50 gp, and your requests can also include spellcasting services and wands.
Taldan Patriot [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 9
You love your country, its history, and its people... even though they may not love you back. Whether you’re a bureaucrat, a minor noble, or a soldier, you want your community to be the best it can be and you channel that love into a position in service to the people of Taldor. You gain a +1 bonus on all Sense Motive and Knowledge (history) checks, and these skills are always class skills for you. In addition, once per day you can recall a specific fact about a Taldan noble’s personality—quirks such as a hobby or pet peeve— including information you would normally learn as a discovery check in social combat.
Young Reformer [Link]Source War for the Crown Player's Guide pg. 10
Perhaps you were born at the bottom of Taldan society and you’re tired of seeing your friends and family toil endlessly with no hope of a better life, or maybe your privileged outlook was shattered by empathy or tragedy. Either way, you know the system is broken, and you’ve dedicated your life to fixing it. But tradition rules Taldor as much as any Grand Prince, and change requires more influence than you have… so far. You’ve got a few friends and allies, and plenty of determination, but while you work toward the power you need to change the nation, you’ll have to resort to more discrete ways of righting wrongs and curbing the abuses of the upper class. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (local) checks, and one of these skills is always a class skill for you. Once per day, you can call upon your coconspirators to have “made arrangements” on your behalf, allowing you to attempt a Knowledge (local) check in place of a single Bluff, Disable Device, Intimidate, or Sleight of Hand check. The DC of this Knowledge (local) check is equal to the DC of the skill check it replaces. Whatever arrangements you make—for doors left unlocked, guards strong-armed out of your way, stolen keys left for you to find—must be reasonable to have anticipated and achieved beforehand; you could arrange to have a noble convinced you’re a very important diplomat traveling in disguise, for example, but if a fight breaks out you could not rely on your network of contacts to feint for you in combat. You don’t have to use this ability in advance; you can announce its use as you encounter a challenge, implying you foresaw this challenge and made arrangements prior to your arrival.
Wrath of the RighteousChance Encounter [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 5, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You always tended to get in over your head as a child, but your biggest youthful misadventure was the time you “accidentally” found yourself behind enemy lines in the Worldwound. You probably never would have made it back home to Kenabres if not for the help of a mysterious woman who helped you trick your way through a group of cultists. The woman never told you her name, but you remember her beauty and a deep sense of sadness she seemed to carry with her. Her skill with the bow was impressive as well, but the thing you remember most about her was the symbol of Desna she wore—she often held onto it without seeming to realize it, as if the connection to the goddess was something she clung to in a sense of need, as someone might clutch at a rope while dangling over a vast pit. She left your side a few moments before you were picked up by a patrol of crusaders, who finished the job of escorting you back to safety, and you’ve never seen her again. Ever since, you’ve just been lucky when it comes to trickery. Once per day, if you fail an Acrobatics, Bluff, Disguise, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth check, you may immediately reroll that check as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it is worse. Associated Mythic Path: Trickster. Multiple Characters: You and other characters were all saved by the same mysterious woman in your childhood. This could have been the same event, or she could have saved you on separate occasions—the discovery that someone else was saved by the mysterious stranger has resulted in a long friendship (or perhaps friendly rivalry) with the others she rescued.
Child of the Crusades (WotR) [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 5, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
Your parents were members of the crusade, as were their parents before them. (If you are an elf, gnome, or other long-lived race, these could be brothers or cousins instead, since it’s possible that the Worldwound simply didn’t exist at a time before you were born.) The righteousness of the crusades sometimes feels as if it runs in your very blood, and it bolsters you against demonic influence. Your parents may be alive still, or they may have perished on a mission—that choice is up to you. You grew up knowing them, though, and their zeal and devotion to the crusade is the primary reason you feel the same way. They’ve told you of other family members who have also been involved in the crusade, and it’s not uncommon for you to meet a distant cousin or long-lost aunt, uncle, or other family member while traveling among the border towns of Mendev. This strong family tie bolsters your mind and sense of belonging to the crusade. Once per day when you fail a saving throw against an effect created by a demon that would possess or incapacitate you mentally, you may immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it is worse. Associated Mythic Path: Marshal. Multiple Characters: If other characters take this trait, you should all be related—you can be siblings, cousins, or even more distant relations, but you should all be aware of this shared lineage.
Exposed to Awfulness [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 6, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
When you were a child, you were nearly slain by a demon that managed to make its way through the wardstones into the lands beyond. The demon was slain before it could kill you, but you lingered at death’s door in a coma for weeks before waking. Ever since then, you’ve been unusually hale and hearty, as if your body had endured its brush with awfulness by becoming supernaturally fit. But still, the scars (whether physical or purely mental) of your brush with death remain, and nightmares of what could have happened often plague your sleep. Something, be it your own personal force of will, some strange “infection” from the assault, or perhaps a combination of both, has made you stronger than before. You’re not sure what to make of the theories that you survived this exposure to awfulness because you yourself have some trace of demonic heritage that helped give you the advantage you needed to survive— but whatever it was, you’re glad for it! Your strange resistance to demonic attacks persists to this day. Once per day when you fail a saving throw against an effect created by a demon that would kill or physically incapacitate you, you can immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it is worse. Associated Mythic Path: Guardian. Multiple Characters: You and any others with this trait are related, if only distantly. You could be siblings or cousins—a condition that perhaps lends some credence to the theory that all of you share more than just a common bloodline.
Riftwarden Orphan [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 6, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You bear a strange birthmark on your body—something you’ve learned is the Sign of the Seeker’s Spiral, a rune associated with the secret society known as the Riftwardens. You have researched this rune, and have learned that the mark sometimes appears on the children of Riftwardens who have been exposed to particularly strange planar energies. Unfortunately, you never knew your parents, for you were raised by a foster family in Kenabres. Your foster family has confirmed that both of your parents were Riftwardens, and has further confirmed that your parents went missing on a secret mission into the Worldwound less than a month after you were born. You’re not sure what happened to them, but you’re certain they’re dead—and your gut tells you that the one who murdered them yet lives! In any event, you’ve long felt magic in your blood, and casting spells comes easily to you. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all concentration checks. Associated Mythic Path: Archmage. Multiple Characters: You should be siblings with any other character that takes this trait, so that you share the same missing parents. Your parents could even be foster parents.
Stolen Fury [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 6, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
You were forced to take part in a demonic ritual as a youth after having been captured by cultists. Whatever the ritual’s purpose may have been, it didn’t work out the way your captors envisioned—rather than corrupting your soul, you absorbed the ritual’s energy and made it your own before you escaped to safety. Ever since, you’ve been haunted by strange nightmares about the ritual, and have long felt that the energies it bathed you in have changed you. Recently, those energies have changed— it’s as if you’ve finally managed to come to terms with your past and have turned the ritual’s aftereffects to your advantage, following the old adage of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. You’ve been unable to learn more about the ritual or what it was for, but the question lingers in the back of your head to this day. This nagging has instilled in you a fury against demonkind. Today, when you face demons in combat, those energies bolster your fury, granting you a +2 trait bonus on all combat maneuver checks against demons. Associated Mythic Path: Champion. Multiple Characters: You and any other PC who takes this trait were all part of the same ritual, and it was only by working together that you managed to escape—further, the support of your fellow ritual survivors has played a key role in your coming to terms with it, and you retain a close bond of friendship (or perhaps a friendly rivalry) to this day.
Touched by Divinity [Link]Source Wrath of the Righteous Player's Guide pg. 7, Demon Hunter's Handbook pg. 31
As long as you can remember, you’ve had an unexplainable interest in one deity in particular. One of your parents may have been a priest of this deity, or you may have been an orphan raised by the church, but these alone cannot explain your deep connection to the faith. You’ve always felt calm and at ease in places holy to the deity, and often have dreams about the god or goddess visiting you—most often in the form of a sacred animal or creature. Your faith is strong, even if you don’t happen to be a divine spellcaster—if you are a divine spellcaster, you should be a worshiper of this deity. You begin play with a silver holy symbol of your chosen deity for free. In addition, choose one domain associated with your chosen deity. You gain the use of that domain’s 1st-level domain spell as a spell-like ability usable once per day (CL equals your character level). Associated Mythic Path: Hierophant. Multiple Characters: If other characters choose this trait, you should all work together to decide what deity you’re associated with—it should be the same deity shared by all of you. You might even share the same dreams.
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