Monky Business: Custom Backgrounds for a Medieval Monastery
Custom backgrounds can help fast-track your players into immersion. They ground characters in the world you’ve created, providing hooks, motivations, relationships and purpose.
Wellcome Collection (CC BY 4.0)
Writing Bad Habits, I knew I wanted to give the player characters of the Abbey a proper grounding in the setting.
The Adventurers take the role of a new intake of novices, learning the privations of the monastic calling. They soon find out that being a medieval monk wasn’t all Gregorian chants and calligraphy.
Abbot Tymus means to instil in the novices the virtues of Justice, Discipline and Order, that they might be as a beacon unto those monks of the order who have fallen from Tyr’s path.
As such he has assigned each to a position of industry within the abbey; through their toil they will learn their faith.
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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The Almoner is responsible for distributing charity to the poor and needy. Don’t get caught with your hand in Tyr’s till.
Equipment: Collection Plate
Ability bonuses: Strength, Intelligence, Charisma
Proficiencies: Persuasion, Insight, Collection Plate
Tithing (Feat)
Once per short rest, as an action, the Almoner may attempt to compel a creature to make a donation. Make a contested Charisma check. If the Almoner succeeds, the targeted creature hands over 10% of all cash in its immediate possession. You must be wielding a Collection Plate to use this feat. Be warned, Tyr may strike down those who grow rich on the hunger of the poor.
Collection Plate (Holy Symbol, Shield)
150gp | 2lb | An enormous gilded platter, illustrated with scenes from the story of Tyr sacrificing his right hand. It has two convenient handles. The platter may be wielded as a Shield, increasing your Armor Class by 2. Requires proficiency.
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Bees are an essential part of monastic life, providing wax for candles and honey for food and fermentation. The Apiarist is responsible for the bees’ welfare.
Equipment: Smoker, 6 Candles, 1 bottle of mead, 1 Jar of Honey
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
Proficiencies: Nature, Animal Handling
Not the Bees! (Feat)
Once per day, you may spend an action to summon a Swarm of Bees. They act independently of you and roll their own initiative in combat. You may issue them commands as a free action, which they will always obey if they are able to. If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.
Jar of Honey (Potion)
2gp | 1lb | Honey is a useful healing aid, having both antiseptic and vulnerary properties. A creature applying honey to a wound before a short rest may return one spent Hit Dice to their pool.
Smoker (Tool)
5gp | 1lb | A smoker is used to calm bees. It takes the form of a tin cylinder, about 10 inches tall and 4 inches across, with a nozzled lid and a bellows attached behind. When filled with smouldering fuel, applying the bellows causes smoke to billow from the nozzle. You can use an action to create a 5-foot-radius sphere of smoke, centered on yourself. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for d4 rounds or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
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The Cantor leads the Abbey's choir, preparing, conducting and rehearsing various hymns, chants and readings in celebration of Tyr.
Equipment: Baton
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
Proficiencies: Performance, Sleight of Hand
On my Count (Feat)
The cantor is used to bringing singers in on cue. Once per long rest, you may use an action to give any number of willing creatures one immediate action, in an order of your choosing. Each character so chosen may not take full actions until the end of their next turn. You must be wielding a Baton to use this Feat.
Baton (Simple Melee Weapon)
1gp | 0.1lb | A lightweight wooden stick, 10 to 24 inches in length, with a balanced grip.
Damage: 1d1 piercing
Special: Finesse, Light
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The Cellarer provisions the Abbey and its granges with food, drink and key supplies.
Equipment: Rationing Knife
Ability bonuses: Strength, Constitution, Intelligence
Proficiencies: Survival, Medicine
Borrowing (Feat)
While in a religious building of your order, once per short rest you may attempt to “borrow” an item from the stores. Make a Persuasion, Deception or Sleight of Hand check vs the item’s cost in GP. If successful, you may add the item to your inventory. On a natural 1, you must return all Borrowed items (if possible) and you cannot attempt this feat again in this building.
Rationing Knife (Simple Melee Weapon)
40gp | 1lb | A precision-forged Rationing Knife is ideally suited for sharing food. Once per day, you may use it to cut one inanimate object that would fit within a 2 foot cube into up to 12 perfectly equal pieces.
Damage: 1d4 Piercing
Special: Finesse, Light
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The Chronicler writes the Abbey’s history, recording important events and gossip, along with news from the local area and across the whole continent.
Equipment: Scribe’s Tools
Ability bonuses: Dexterity, Wisdom, Intelligence
Proficiencies: History, Religion
Well-read (Feat)
Gain advantage on all History and Insight checks.
Skeletons in the Closet (Feat)
Once per short rest, you may attempt to intuit an embarrassing secret about a non-player creature. Make a History or Insight check. If you succeed, you understand the topic of or the reason for their embarrassment but not necessarily the exact details. On a critical success, the gossip is potentially career-ending.
Scribe’s Tools (Tool)
70gp | 2lb | Quills, ink, a small sharpening knife, two vellum scrolls up to 30’ in length.
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The Gardener cultivates herbs for medicine and cookery, and flower gardens to remind monks of the beauty of Tyr's justice.
Equipment: Shovel, Fork (as Trident), Rake
Ability bonuses: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom
Proficiencies: Nature, Athletics, Fork
Roses are Red (Feat)
With an eye for exterior design, the Gardener’s beds raise more than just eyebrows. Once per short rest, while you can see flowers, you may gain advantage on any Charisma ability check or saving throw. Any spell you cast using Charisma receives advantage for a spell attack or forces the target to save at disadvantage.
Rake (Adventuring Gear)
1gp | 4lb | May be left upturned in long grass or a dark alley, or similarly concealed. Any small or medium creature that stands on a rake takes 1d6 Bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.
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The Infirmarer looks after the abbey’s sick and elderly.
Equipment: Scarifier
Ability bonuses: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom
Proficiencies: Medicine, Stealth, Scarifier
Exsanguination (Feat)
Once per day, you may use an action and a touch to drain the blood of one willing or restrained creature. The creature’s Hit Point maximum is reduced by 25% until the end of their next long rest. After this long rest, the creature’s Hit Point maximum is increased by 25% for 24 hours. You must be wielding a Scarifier to use this feat.
Scarifier (Tool)
35gp | 0.5lb | A bloodletting device, the scarifier is a 2” brass cube, with a lever on one side. The lever triggers six spring-loaded blades on the underside, designed to draw maximum blood with minimum damage. Requires proficiency.
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The Kitchener is responsible for preparing meals.
Equipment: Two Cook’s Knives
Ability bonuses: Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom
Proficiencies: Perception, Intimidation, Cook’s Knives
Knife Skills (Feat)
Any weapon you wield which causes Slashing damage gains the Finesse property and +1 to attack and damage rolls.
When wielding Cook’s Knives, you gain advantage on any check to slice or carve with speed or precision any inanimate object.
Cook’s Knives (Simple Weapon)
25gp | 1lb | A pair of balanced, high-carbon steel knives, ideal for use in the kitchen (and elsewhere). Requires proficiency.
Damage: 1d6 slashing
Special: Finesse, Light
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The Sacrist is responsible for preparing the altar for the monks’ frequent services. They also look after the abbey's treasures and relics, which are prone to being pocketed by professional thieves, opportunistic pilgrims and even other monks. The Sacrist is no stranger to conflict.
Equipment: Blessed Knucklebones of Saint Cajetan
Ability bonuses: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom
Proficiencies: Arcana, Investigation
Transubstantiation (Feat)
Once per day, you may use an action and a touch to turn up to ¼ pint of mead into blood or vice versa.
Blessed Knucklebones of Saint Cajetan (Artefact)
Priceless | 0.1lb | Once per short rest, the player may turn a rolled dice to its opposite face. (For d4: 1↔4, 2↔3.)
If you’ve got suggestions, ideas, or noticed something that utterly breaks the game then let me know in the comments!
I am indebted to April Munday’s excellent blog for lots of inspiration and details which helped bring the world of Stonethrall Abbey to life. Kuseru Satsujin’s list of monastic ranks and titles was also extremely useful.
