Background List 5e: A Comprehensive Guide to D&D 5th Edition Backgrounds

What Is a Background in D&D 5th Edition

In D&D 5th Edition, a background describes the life your character lived before becoming an adventurer, shaping their skills, proficiencies, relationships, and roleplaying possibilities. It represents formative experiences such as growing up in a certain region, training under a mentor, serving in a military unit, or surviving as a street urchin. Each official background in the Player’s Handbook provides a narrative premise plus mechanical benefits, helping you connect your character to the campaign world while defining what they are good at before the main story begins.

Backgrounds differ from race, class, and subclass, which define core capabilities and progression. They are chosen at character creation, though variant rules may allow retraining later. A well chosen background enhances roleplay, justifies equipment and starting money, and gives you clear hooks for quests and alliances. Understanding how backgrounds work mechanically and narratively makes it easier to build characters who feel distinct, functional, and rooted in the world.

Official Backgrounds in Fifth Edition

The Player’s Handbook includes a wide range of backgrounds, each combining a skill package, tool proficiencies, language(s), and a feature that defines your character’s training and upbringing. Below are the core backgrounds and their most important attributes; see the table for a concise summary of proficiencies and gold.

Acolyte

An Acolyte has spent years in temple service, learning rites, traditions, and the ways of deities. This background grants Insight and Religion proficiency, two tool proficiencies (one of which is musical instrument or artisan’s tools), and the feature Shelter of the Faithful, which can provide support from your religious community. It is ideal for characters devoted to a higher cause or who grew up in a religious institution.

Charlatan

The Charlatan lives by wit, trickery, and fast talk, often walking the line between con artist and entertainer. You gain Deception and Sleight of Hand proficiency, proficiency with one type of gaming set, and the feature False Identity, which lets you assume an alias with a new appearance and official-seeming documents. This background suits smooth talkers, grifters, and performers who rely on charm and cunning.

Criminal

Whether a hardened thief or a mugger on the streets, the Criminal background provides proficiency with thieves’ tools and one type of gaming set, plus the feature Criminal Contact, which gives access to a network of informants and fences. Characters with this background often have experience operating in urban underworlds and may have both advantages in illicit activities and risks from former associates.

Entertainer

Entertainers thrive on attention, whether as actors, dancers, or circus performers. This background gives Performance and Acrobatics proficiency, one type of gaming set, and feature By Folio Order, which lets you maintain contacts and secure work in cities. It is well suited for flamboyant characters who enjoy the spotlight and enjoy an element of danger in their performances.

Folk Hero

The Folk Hero rose from humble or harsh beginnings to become a symbol of resistance or justice. You gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools and one martial or simple weapon, along with the feature Regional Benevolence, which can provide aid from the community that remembers your deeds. This background works well for characters who have faced oppression and now fight for the downtrodden.

Guild Artisan

As a member of a powerful guild, this background provides proficiency with Insight and Persuasion, tool proficiencies tied to your craft, and the feature Guild Membership, which can offer access to resources, contacts, and modest financial support. This background suits characters who are skilled tradespeople with standing in a merchant organization, whether they are loyal to the guild or chafing under its demands.

Hermit

A Hermit has lived in seclusion, often for spiritual or reflective reasons, and returns to the world with unique skills. You gain proficiency in Medicine and Religion, a selection of survival tools, and the feature Discovery, which can reveal hidden truths or forgotten lore. This background is ideal for sages, seekers, or individuals who have spent time in wilderness retreats or isolated shrines.

Noble

Nobles command respect, resources, and influence. This background provides proficiency in History and Persuasion, a language of choice, and the feature Position of Privilege, which can grant access to high society, quality service, and occasional gifts. A Noble background suits characters from aristocratic families, wealthy patrons, or those who have recently acquired status through adventure or inheritance.

Outlander

Survival in the wilderness has honed the Outlander’s abilities. You gain proficiency in Athletics and Survival, tool proficiency with one musical instrument, and the feature Wanderer, which helps you avoid getting lost and find unusual landmarks. This background is perfect for characters who grew far from civilization, whether in forests, mountains, or remote coastal regions.

Sage

Scholars and researchers often pursue knowledge at great personal cost. With this background, you gain proficiency in Arcana and History, a language of choice, and the feature Researcher, which allows you to retrieve information more efficiently. Sages are driven by curiosity and often have strong ties to libraries, universities, or reclusive mentors.

Sailor

Life on the sea shapes the Sailor, who gains proficiency in Athletics and Perception, tool proficiency with navigator’s tools, and the feature Ship’s Passage, which can secure free or reduced-cost sea travel. This background suits crew members, pirates, or captains with histories of voyages, storms, and close calls at sea.

Soldier

Discipline, training, and survival in war define the Soldier. You gain proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation, tool proficiency with gaming sets, and the feature Military Rank, which can provide allies, favors, and access to military resources. This background works for guards, mercenaries, veterans, and others accustomed to following orders in dangerous campaigns.

Urchin

Street-smart and resilient, the Urchin has survived by wit and stealth. You gain proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth, tool proficiency with thieves’ tools, and the feature City Secrets, which provides knowledge of hidden passages and safe places in urban areas. This background suits nimble characters who learned to navigate crowded alleys and corrupt bureaucracies.

Rules for Selecting and Using Backgrounds

When creating a character, you choose a background from the list in the Player’s Handbook. Each background specifies proficiencies you gain, starting equipment, and often a trait that shapes your backstory. You typically select your background at character creation, though some campaign-specific rules may allow retraining in long downtime or through special in-game events. Backgrounds interact with traits such as personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws; these roleplaying elements are as important as the mechanical benefits when building a compelling character.

How you earned your background skills and features is a great source of story hooks. A Noble may have recently fallen from grace, a Sailor may owe a debt to a sea captain, and an Urchin may have ties to a thieves’ guild. Lean into these connections during play; they can generate quests, allies, and interesting complications that make your character feel like an integral part of the world.

Comparing Core Backgrounds: Mechanics at a Glance

The following table summarizes key mechanical details for a selection of popular backgrounds. It shows the proficiencies each offers, typical skill choices, starting gold, and distinctive features. This is a high level overview; consult the Player’s Handbook for exact values and options such as multiclass adjustments.

Backgrounds include Acolyte, Charlatan, Criminal, Entertainer, Folk Hero, Guild Artisan, Hermit, Noble, Outlander, Sage, Sailor, Soldier, and Urchin. The table highlights how their proficiencies, tools, languages, and features differ. Use it to compare options quickly when building a character or advising players on narrative and mechanical tradeoffs.

Choosing Backgrounds for Roleplay and Mechanics

Mechanical considerations are important, but the story potential of a background often matters more at the table. A background should give you clear answers to questions like: Who did you work for? Where did you grow up? What motivates you? Which obligations do you still carry? Use your background to inform your personality traits, bonds, and flaws; these roleplaying elements can make your background choices feel meaningful and consistent across a campaign.

When optimizing for class choices, consider how your background’s skills complement your class. A Sorcerer with the Sage background adds Arcana and History to a strong spellcasting chassis, while a Rogue with Criminal gains synergistic expertise in skills the class already values. Remember that some backgrounds offer niche utilities, such as Noble’s Position of Privilege or Sailor’s Ship’s Passage, which can shape long term campaign opportunities. Choose based on both your party role and the kind of character you want to portray.

Customizing and Reflavoring Backgrounds

While the official backgrounds cover many archetypes, D&D encourages creativity. You can reflavor a background to fit your concept without changing mechanics; for example, playing a Folk Hero who is a reformed cult survivor, or a Noble who secretly leads a thieves’ guild. Work with your DM to adjust details, replace tool proficiencies when appropriate, and tailor features to match your campaign’s tone. This flexibility lets you keep a mechanically sound build while expressing a unique identity at the table.

For more complex tweaks, such as combining elements of two backgrounds or introducing downtime activities, consult your DM and reference variant rules. Homebrew backgrounds should maintain balance by offering comparable skill coverage and features. When in doubt, keep the core structure and reskin the narrative so that crunchy benefits remain fair and consistent across the table.

Common Questions About D&D 5e Backgrounds

Can you have two backgrounds in 5e?

Standard play assigns one background at character creation. Some DM approved reflavoring or multiclass considerations may allow thematic blending, but official rules call for a single background. Discuss with your DM if you want hybrid elements handled through background features or roleplay rather than stacking mechanical benefits.

Can you change your background in 5e?

Backgrounds are generally set at character creation. Long downtime in campaign play, DM approved customization, or specific subclass features may allow you to retrain or adjust parts of your background. Work with your DM to ensure changes preserve game balance and fit the story of your character’s evolution.

Do backgrounds give skills for free?

Yes, each background provides a set of proficiencies, including skills, tools, and often one or two languages. These proficiencies are gained at character creation and are part of your character’s core capabilities. Use them to inform your build and to justify what your character knows and can do before adventuring.

Are background features always active?

Most background features are always active once you choose that background, such as skill proficiencies and fixed abilities like Shelter of the Faithful or Researcher. Situational features, such as Criminal Contact or Ship’s Passage, depend on availability and your DM’s rulings about how and when they can be used.

Optimizing Background Choices by Class and Concept

Aligning your background with your class and concept can amplify both mechanical strength and narrative satisfaction. A Fighter with the Soldier background gains martial training that complements martial prowess, while a Cleric with Acolyte ties divine magic to organized faith. When in doubt, prioritize background features and proficiencies that reduce redundancy and open up useful skills, tools, and social avenues in your expected campaigns.