Hopeless Romantics: D&D Backgrounds for Regency Settings
Harmony before Matrimony. Gillray / Library of Congress (Public Domain)
Pride, prejudice, pimpernels, and a great deal of wuthering. These custom backgrounds are a good start for parties of useless fops, dandy highwaymen and consumptive heiresses.
Expanding the world of Bad Habits to a multi-party adventure means more backgrounds to choose from. The Crown Commission are in town looking for excuses to dissolve the Abbey and appropriate its treasures for the Queen:
In the aftermath of the civil war, nobles who stayed loyal to the false king were stripped of lands and power, but not rank. Any chance to improve your standing in court - to regain your birthright - is to be jumped at. Hence you find yourself on a miserable mission to a miserable Abbey, seeking evidence of tax evasion. Well, the new Queen needs to pay off the debts of war somehow.
Backgrounds
You’re welcome to make use of these backgrounds in your own games. If you’d like to use them commercially, drop us an email.
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So far, you’ve squandered your inheritance on wine and slow horses. The trustees will cut you off from your annuity unless you can cultivate a less morally-reprehensible lifestyle.
Equipment: Race Binoculars (see Spyglass), Gaming Sets (Dice and Cards)
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: Gaming Sets (Dice and Cards)
Winning Streak (Feat): Whenever you roll a critical success, gain Advantage on your next D20 check. -
Chief among your many duties as local squire was arranging the regular boar hunt. Although the hunting of wild boar has been banned by the new Queen, your skills may still come in use.
Equipment: Musical Instrument, 1 Canine Companion (Beast of the Land)
Ability bonuses: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: Musical Instrument of your choice
Tally-ho (Feat): As a Bonus Action, you may use your Musical Instrument to issue commands to your Canine Companion. If your Canine Companion has died within the last hour, you can take a Magic action to touch one, expending five of your own Hit Points. The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its Hit Points restored. Unlike a Primal Companion, you may never summon a new Canine Companion; your bond is irreplaceable.Description text goes here -
With a guaranteed income and a modest house thrown in, the life of a country priest was a comfortable one. But the new regime has been stripping churches of their assets - your vicarage included. Well, if you can’t beat them, join them…
Equipment: Holy Symbol, 12 Candles, Incense (various flavours), Tinderbox, Holy Water, a simple melee weapon representing your faith with which you have proficiency
Ability bonuses: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Performance
Tool Proficiencies:See Equipment above
Curate’s Egg (Feat): You are well-practiced in les arts du nez-marron, and gain Advantage on Deception, Performance and Persuasion checks against those of high social standing. -
You are ready to enter society - balls, dances and tea parties. Ideally you’ll find a spouse before decrepitude sets in (ie, your mid-twenties (or non-human species equivalent)). Unfortunately your first season coincided with the civil war and everyone’s been rather preoccupied. Now that things have calmed down a bit it’s time to meet your match!
Equipment: Fan (see below), Fine Clothes, Disguise Kit
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit
Semaphore (Feat): You can use your Fan to discreetly send simple coded messages to other members of your party to whom you have line of sight. You may teach the code to other characters over the course of a short rest.Fan | 2gp | 0.1lb | An intricate silk and whalebone fan, useful for cooling down between dances or hiding your gossip from would-be lip readers.
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Your honour is your most valuable possession. Well, that and your trusty pistols. The old King’s generous libel laws and liberal approach to gentry-on-gentry violence allowed you to use your skill with them to leverage generous payments from those you deemed to have besmirched your reputation.
Equipment: Two Pistols, Rapier, Pair of Gloves
Ability bonuses: Strength, Dexterity, Charisma
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation
Tool Proficiencies: Pistol, Rapier
Glove slap (Feat): You may use an Attack action to slap a humanoid creature within 5 feet with one of your gloves. If the Attack hits, the creature is subjected to the effects of Compelled Duel. On a critical hit, they also suffer 1 bludgeoning damage.Item description -
Where there’s muck there’s brass, as they say. I mean obviously you didn’t spend that much time in the muck personally. But you mucked in here and there. Your family’s estates were some of the most productive in the county. Now they’ve been turned over to common ownership.
Equipment: Musket, Shooting Stick (see below)
Ability bonuses: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Athletics
Tool Proficiencies: Musket
Giant Haystacks (Feat): Growing up with an abundance of food, the word “strapping” doesn’t really do you justice. Once per short rest, you may make an unarmed attack to lift a medium or smaller creature above your head and slam them to the floor. On a hit, the creature suffers 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. You may attempt this against a creature up to one size larger than you (eg ‘Large’ if you are ‘Medium’). If they are larger than you, gain Disadvantage on the attack.Shooting Stick | 30gp | 3lb | This convenient walking stick cum folding chair also provides additional stability for missile weapons. You may use a Bonus Action to set up or move the Shooting Stick. When shooting a crossbow, musket or similar triggered weapon, gain Advantage if you do not move this turn.
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You joined the navy as a child - did you run away to sea, or were you sent by your doting parents to get you out from under their feet? You made a passable officer, but not renowned enough to keep your post when ships were decommissioned after the war.
Equipment: Navigator’s Tools, Short Sword, Grappling Hook, Rope
Ability bonuses: Strength, Constitution, Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s Tools, Short Sword, Grappling Hook
Full Rigger (Feat): You gain Advantage on any check involving a common naval task, such as tying or untying knots, climbing, swabbing decks etc. -
You’ve always been a ‘power behind the throne’ type. Your career goals tend towards Grand Vizier. However, your fast rise through the ranks of the Privy Council was brought to an abrupt stop when the King’s throne fell.
Equipment: Scholar’s Pack, Royal Seal (see below), Mace of Office (see below)
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Wisdom, Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies: History, Investigation
Tool Proficiencies: Mace of Office
Fast Stream (Feat): You are a quick learner and used to frequent changes of role. You may choose any Feat (providing you meet its prerequisites). When you level up, you may swap it for a different Feat.Mace of Office | 70gp | 4lb | A heavy metal staff, topped with a solid brass knob decorated with a gilt crown. This one was liberated from the King’s Privy Council.
Damage: 1d8 Bludgeoning
Special: SapRoyal Seal | 80gp | 0.5lb | A wooden and brass stamp for forming wax seals. This one bears the arms of the former King.
