D&D 2024 Backgrounds - Circus Performers II
In Part II of Circus Performers, I present the Ringmaster, Trapeze Artist, and Trick Rider for use in your D&D 2024 campaign. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Ringmaster
Ability Scores: Charisma, Intelligence, Wisdom
Feat: Master of Ceremonies
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Perception, and Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Disguise Kit, backpack, costume, traveler’s clothes, wand (arcane focus), waterskin, 14 gp or (B) 50 gp
As the charismatic figure you are, you find it easy to talk to anyone. You've always been a natural-born entertainer, keeping people enraptured with the stories you could weave. As you got older, you grew into a leader among your peers. Your voice was rich and compelling, laced with an almost hypnotic quality that could hold an audience spellbound. Your demeanor was a blend of charm and authority, which exuded confidence while hinting at secrets untold.
You are at home under the spotlight in the big top. Your armor is an elaborately embroidered tailcoat that shimmers with light and a black top hat perched on your head. Throughout the show, your words practically command the audience to follow you on the journey you take them on. You guide them through the show wielding a cane as a conductor does with a baton, directing the flow of the orchestra of performers as they perform. Your role was the bridge between the mundane and the extraordinary, leaving people both mesmerized and unnerved as you unveiled the circus' wonders and dangers. Now, you seek to search for the world's dangerous wonders outside of a circus tent.
Background Story Ideas
You were bound to a life of working for unknown forces, forced to participate in nefarious schemes such as collecting souls, gathering rare artifacts, or performing forbidden rituals until you feld.
You were head of the King's guard. Feeling unfilled, you gave up your commission, rank, and the good graces of the lord, who feels you abandoned them and the kingdom you once served.
You followed in the footsteps of your family of acrobats, but not in the way they wanted you to. Leaving them behind, you followed your dreams of being the ringmaster of a different traveling circus, and they now consider you dead to them.
Origin Feat
Master of Ceremonies
You gain the following benefits.
Command. You know the command spell. You always have it prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot and regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have.
Influence. When making an Influence (Action) check, you no longer have Disadvantage when attempting to influence Hostile creatures. In addition, Influence checks against Indifferent creatures have Advantage, and Friendly creatures are treated as Willing.
Trick Rider
Ability Scores: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
Feat: Saddle Master
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, and Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Leatherworker's Tools
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Leatherworker's tools, backpack, bullseye lantern, riding saddle, 10 days of rations, 10 days of feed, rope, saddlebags, traveler's clothes, waterskin, 14 gp or (B) 50 gp
You have spent years working with almost every creature that could serve a mount. You trained these creatures to be performers, capable of performing feats beyond what many think is possible. You blended acrobatics, precision, and various stunts through a deep connection to your mount. Together, you were capable of awe-inspiring feats that defy the laws of physics and reason.
Joining the circus was a no-brainer. You were bold and confident on your mount, with a flair for the dramatic. You thrived on danger and excitement, often grinning in the face of peril, and you knew your mount felt the same. You had an unshakeable bond forged through trust and empathy. To this day, you remain deeply connected to their mount, always treating it as an equal partner.
Background Story Ideas
The local King heard of your abilities, and you were conscripted into their army. Instead of fighting and risking your and your horse's lives, you fled the kingdom, much to the ire of the King.
A relative looking to exploit your talents forced you to perform stunts you were too young to do safely. You wished to flee from such a life. You mount, sensing your growing trepidation every day, kicked the relative, killing him.
Your family bought you a horse when you were young, and you raised it from a foal to the magnificent creature it is today. The feats you and your horse can do are the stuff of legends.
Origin Feat
Saddle Master
You gain the following benefits.
Barding. You can craft armor for a mount at the same cost as a normal suit of armor, not the four times the standard cost it usually does.
Mounted Dash. When your mount takes the Dash action, its Speed increases by half of your normal movement speed. You must be riding your mount for it to gain this benefit.
On the Saddle. You cannot be removed from your mount by non-magical means.
Trapeze Artist
Ability Scores: Dexterity, Strength, Charisma
Feat: Fearless Aerialist
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, and Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Climber's Kit
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Climber's Kit, backpack, ball (3), bedroll, mirror, 10 days of rations, waterskin, 15 gp or (B) 50 gp
Detailed Background Story Idea
You had always felt drawn to the sky. Growing up in a small seaside town, you would spend hours sitting on the nearby cliffs, watching the seagulls glide effortlessly through the air. Their wings seemed to dance with the wind, and you often wondered what it would be like to share that freedom.
One summer, a traveling circus arrived in town. The various performances captivated you, but your entire world changed while you watched the trapeze act. These daredevils gracefully soared through the air and performed incredible acrobatic acts, seemingly defying gravity and logic.
After the show, you approached one of the trapeze artists, peppering them with questions. They answered every last question, seeing the fire in your eyes. When your questions finally ran out, they handed you a rope and challenged you to climb it to the small perch the trapeze artist started their act from. You struggled to the top, but they were impressed by your determination and tenacity.
You were invited to train with the troupe during their stay. You snuck from home to train, learning to grip the ropes, perfect your balance, and eventually swing through the air. Soon, you discovered a natural rhythm, performing complex acts like second nature. When the circus prepared to leave, you were offered to join them and continue her training. You jumped at the chance.
As the years passed, you became known as "The Sky Whisperer," a world-famous trapeze artist who captivated audiences with grace and daring. Now, however, you seek new and more daring experiences, the kind only the life of an adventurer can bring.
Other Background Story Ideas
You were once an acrobat in a royal court, forced to flee after being falsely accused of stealing a sacred artifact, and you are now using your aerial skills to evade bounty hunters.
You were raised in a family of acrobatic performers, touring with a small, knit circus. You left your family and the circus, thinking they were holding you back from the greatness you felt you were destined for.
You were gang-pressed as a young adult, forced into a pirate's life. You learn to swing from ropes while working on the ship's rigging. When you decided you couldn't stand the pirate's life anymore, you disappeared into the night one evening.
Origin Feat
Fearless Aerialist
You gain the following benefits.
Fear No More. When you are falling, your rate of descent with 60 feet minus your normal movement speed.
Urbach-Wiethe. You have Resistance to all fear-based spells and abilities.
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Art Credit - Paizo
