D&D 2024 Backgrounds - Diplomat
The diplomat is the epitome of the negotiator, a master of words who develops connections and resolves disputes through persuasion, tact, and an unyielding dedication to communication. Diplomats navigate the complexities of politics, trade, and intercultural relations, often serving as the bridge between opposing factions, religious groups, or rival nations. While others wield swords or spells, the diplomat's weapon is their words, and their battlefield is the negotiation table.
Diplomat
Ability Scores: Charisma, Intelligence, Wisdom
Feat: Negotiator
Skill Proficiencies: Insight and Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Calligrapher's Supplies, a set of fine clothes, parchment (10 sheets), pouch, sealing wax, signet ring, 18 gp, or (B) 50 gp
The reasons behind someone becoming a diplomat are as varied are there are stars in the night sky. Perhaps you grew up in a household where disputes were settled with calm words rather than raised voices, inspiring you to seek resolution through dialogue. Some grew up in a country at war, forced to live through its horrors and the devastation it wrought, and vowed to prevent such tragedies by fostering understanding and reconciliation. Others are driven by ambition, using their skills to advance their standing or political aspirations. In contrast, there are those who see the role of a diplomat as a moral calling to create harmony in a fractured and dysfunctional world.
Diplomats are often seen as either peacemakers who unify opposing factions or as manipulators who exploit situations for personal or political gain. They constantly perform a delicate balancing act, managing the needs and desires of two groups whose interests do not align with each other. Their role in these conflicts involves a nuanced moral landscape where intentions and outcomes do not always align. Are their negotiations genuine efforts to bridge divides, or do they mask a more self-serving agenda? The choices they make can have significant consequences, shaping perceptions of diplomacy as either a force for good or a tool for exploitation.
Regardless of your motivations, the role of a diplomat underscores the fragile balance of trust and power in the world. Your efforts to mediate conflicts, form alliances, and sway opinions reveal both the potential and the peril of diplomacy. Whether viewed as a hero, opportunist, or something in between, your presence in the story adds depth to the ongoing struggle for peace and understanding.
Background Story Ideas
Banished from your homeland after a failed attempt to broker peace between warring factions, you set out to restore your reputation.
Frustrated by endless bureaucracy and meaningless gestures, you left the diplomatic world behind, choosing instead to enact real change by joining a band of adventurers who fight for justice.
Wracked with guilt after a diplomatic decision led to unforeseen suffering, you abandoned your post and turned to adventuring, hoping to make amends through direct action.
Origin Feat
Negotiator
Your way with words is more powerful than the swing of a sword.
Knowledgeable. You gain proficiency in the Insight and History skills.
Captivating Presence. You can cast the Charm Person spell. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you 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.
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Art Credit - WotC
