Step 4: Choose Your Background

You are born with some traits, but you also learn others. The kind of culture you grow up in has a major impact on the kind of character you become. In addition to traits inherited through ancestry, you also get traits related to your upbringing or culture. Just because you are a halfling doesn't guarantee you have a traditional halfling upbringing, though. It's quite possible you were a halfling raised by dwarves. Furthermore, not all dwarven societies are alike. Some may be the stereotypical giant-hating, mine-loving type, but it's also possible to have groups of seafaring dwarves, urban dwarves, forest dwelling clans, or other varieties. Rather than assume all cultures in Upheaval fall under one stereotypical umbrella, your GM will work with you to decide the characteristics of the society you grew up in and what trait choices that grants you access to.

As a quick and easy start, choose background abilities from the list below. If your character is human, half-elf, or half-orc, you may pick two cultural traits. All other ancestries choose one. For a more extensive list of cultural traits see the expanded rules on Background.

• Academician (+1 Int): You come from an academic class among your people. You gain two bonus ranks on any single Knowledge skill. The maximum number of ranks you can have in that skill (usually equal to your character level) also increases by two.
• Artisans (+1 Int or Dex): Your people are prized for their knowledge of a particular craft. They might be expert stoneworkers or silversmiths. Because of this, you get two bonus ranks in a Craft skill. The maximum number of ranks you can have in that skill (usually equal to your character level) also increases by two.
• Hunter: (+1 Dex or Wis) You were raised to be a hunter. Maybe it was a family legacy, maybe your community emphasized hunting as an important food source, or maybe you were forced to learn to hunt to survive. You have the tracker proficiency. When attempting to sneak up on an enemy (instead of just hiding from them) you gain advantage on stealth checks.
• Laborer (+1 Str or Con): Your upbringing exposed you to a lot of hard labor. Perhaps you were a field hand, a miner, a builder, or other crafts. You automatically gain 1 point in the appropriate craft skill. Also, you are used to working through fatigue. You can delay the effects of level 1 fatigue for 1 hour provided it was caused by a non-magical effect. You are still counted as fatigued for this hour, but you just don't feel the effects.
• Monastic (+1 Any): You were raised in a monastic tradition or community, one that encourages a mindfulness that allows you to shrug off danger more easily. You may add one saving throw rank to each score.
• Nobility (+1 Cha): Your family comes from nobility and you were raised in an environment of power and privilege. You are welcome in high society and able to secure an audience with a local noble if needed. When speaking to common, non-adventuring humanoids, you gain advantage on intimidation checks.
• Piety (+1 Wis): You were raised in a religious community or among a religious family. You gain two bonus points to Religion. The maximum number of ranks you can have in that skill (usually equal to your character level) also increases by two.
• Sailor (+1 Dex, Str, or Wis): You grew up on or near the sea and are accustomed to ships of all sorts. You gain advantage on checks related to sailing, repairing, or handling ships. You gain advantage on concentration checks made because of stormy seas. Finally, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls against foes and objects on top of the water.
• Traveler (+1 Con): You grew up on the open road, travelling long distances in a variety of terrains. You have the endurance ability.

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