5e Background: Alcoholic

Every now and then (or more often) you'll look at the backgrounds in the 5e PHB and think 'Yeah... I could somehow tailor the Entertainer/Guild Artisan to fit my celebrity chef', but that half-hearted enthusiasm isn't going to make a PC/NPC you're going to remember. I'm not ready to get cracking on the Chef yet though, so here's a warm-up for what I hope will become a series of posts in months to come.

Alcoholic

Your life presided in the bottle before you resorted to adventuring. It's possible that in a drunken moment of grandeur, you saw in yourself the potential of a hero. It's probable that you're funding your habit or proving to someone else that you're not just some worthless drunkard. Perhaps you're a reformed alcoholic who's looking for a fresh start?

Skill proficiencies: Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)
Tool proficiency: 1 gaming set of your choice OR 1 set of artisan's tools of your choice
Equipment: hip flask of your favourite liquor, notebook of the best and worst taverns you've been to, gaming set x1 OR artisan's tool set x1, a trinket that reminds of a life you used to lead, pouch containing 10 silver pieces

Feature: Liquid Courage

You know better than anyone else that wetting your throat helps with the nerves. A sip of any alcoholic beverage stronger than ale grants you advantage on saving throws against being frightened and checks against intimidation in the next 10 minutes. If you have a racial advantage against being frightened, you instead automatically succeed on such saving throws within the next 10 minutes (no auto-success for checks against intimidation).

Variant Feature: Bottle Opener

Thrice cursed be the stopper that gets between you and your drink. Unless magically sealed, you can find a way to open any bottle without spilling the contents.

Suggested Characteristics:

Although alcoholics get a bad reputation, not all are dysfunctional misfits and every one had their reasons for turning to the bottle. Whilst they may not have standards when it comes to booze, one should never underestimate an alcoholic's knowledge in this field.

d6  Personality
1. You're unpredictable. To you, any course of action is justifiable at the time.
2. You will say anything if it means getting what you want.
3. You're a touch sentimental. There's that one thing you will never touch out of respect for someone long since gone.
4. You're rehabilitated and do your best to maintain a positive perspective. When times are tough, you remember why you started drinking.
5. You've been struggling to get sober for a while now. You're often frustrated, but your spark of determination hasn't died yet.
6. You're a kind soul who puts others' needs before your own. Whilst you shoulder their burdens, alcohol shoulders yours.

d6  Ideal
1. Nihilism. Nothing matters apart from getting your drink. (Chaotic)
2. Avoidance. Drinking helps you ignore the real issues. (Neutral)
3. Commitment. The only way you can make others happy is by being someone you're not. (Good)
4. Hubris. You are never in the wrong, no matter what the rest say. (Chaotic)
5. Salvation. You will stop others from becoming what you used to be/what you are. (Lawful)
6. Tyranny. You are compelled to make others follow your example. (Lawful Evil)

d6  Bond
1. You still owe money to the barkeep. He swore he'd get it back.
2. You woke up late one morning with an unknown address written on the back of your hand.
3. The town braggart always said that you'd amount to nothing. You will prove them wrong.
4. On a bender, you did something unforgivable to your best friend that you can't remember. You've been trying to redeem yourself since.
5. He/she is crippled because of you. You seek to fulfil their dream for them.
6. If you could just see his/her face one more time, you're sure you could turn your life around.

d6  Flaw
1. The weight of reality can be overwhelming when you're sober.
2. Your breath always reeks of alcohol.
3. People feel uncomfortable in your presence.
4. Withdrawal symptom -  roll 1d4: 1) shakes 2) cold sweats 3) high body temperature 4) loss of appetite.
5. Convincing yourself to get up in the morning is difficult.
6. You're craven.



Picture credits: Girhasha and artbygabrielle

Setting the Stage

About my current most active game: my uni group does its best to run once per week. There are six players and then myself as DM in this D&D 4e (boo hiss) Eberron campaign.

Eberron's pretty swanky, as far as settings go, though I'll be damned if my group evokes a realm akin to anyone else's Eberron out there. With werewolves, cults of the Dragon Below, royal family conspiracies, chaotic evil swords, the warforged and the Queen of Air and Darkness, we've still managed to sit staring down the less magic, more P.I. barrel. Airships and artifacts go down a treat, but the real magic - the gritty 'hurts to think about it' magic - of our world lies in the shadows underground. Obviously both figuratively and literally speaking.

Should be like this

But it's more like this

And this

This too, why not

Set 10 years after the Last War. The nation of Breland thrives, though tensions toward both the Houses and King Boranel grow strained: corruption grows on trees, the warforged have resurfaced and Houses Jorasco and Lyrandar both have atrocities to answer for. Doubtful as to whether the latter will ever happen in Sharn, where the government was felled with the axe that is exploding airships and wrestling warlocks.

The cults of the Khyber thrive as the seeds of doubt grow in Brelish citizens by the week. Releasing the Son of Khyber from his prison could end the tyranny of the Houses, but then one could argue that the Twelve would be the lesser of two evils in this scenario.

Werewolves, once troublesome, have been purged by a party that's still trying to figure out its place in the big, wide world. This wouldn't be a problem if it didn't mean unleashing the Queen of Air and Darkness and a drow servant of Vulkoor the scorpion god who has dubious alliances. The Queen, of course, was whiling away her time in the Unseelie Court, whilst the ever-unknowing adventurers decided to leave her a body that she could use. Nice.

Where the Queen of Air and Darkness and magical books are involved, no NPC can truly be trusted. Her black-eyed idol ties her to her vessel and channels her powers of darkness and illusion magic: few can resist as darkness captures Aundair in its entirety. As of yet, no fire can be considered holy, with the Silver Flame's home of Thrane lying in the carnage of the Queen's wake. Shadow creatures serve her Majesty and the darkness cast by flames only bolsters them.

The Queen cannot be held solely accountable for the recent instability of the continent of Khorvaire; King Boranel's family and the government of Breland in Wroat are moving. The king's life was taken by his precious foster daughter, but naturally only the party has the privilege of knowing this. They've been on the run ever since. In saying so, several potential allies across the continent stand to benefit from Breland's weakened capacity. That is, if they manage to avoid the wrath of the Queen and find a way through the darkness that threatens to swallow Khorvaire.


The Party

Sammy J the human rogue - he's got a weakness for the ladies and only wine & hard liquor can strengthen him

Mako the genasi swordmage - tried stoic but never made it. Instead has to deal with his chaotic evil sword

Kai the doppelganger hybrid (changeling in 4e terms) - investigator extraordinaire with an ever-growing network of vagrants

Xena the dragonborn barbarian - captains an airship and wears magical reading glasses despite being illiterate

Hope the tiefling bard - an orphan with serious belonging issues, he tries to convince everyone else that he deserves to handle super important powerful items for the sake of spinning a bloody good yarn

Ephraim the pixie warlock - the cigar-smoking first mate to Xena, he just really likes being an asshole with his pixie dust


Specific region profiles/happenings posts to come in due course, but I'll mix things up a little with other tidbits that could work for any D&D game first.