D&D Backgrounds - Amnesiac
The Amnesiac background for people who think waking up with no memory of their past sounds like fun. For these players, the mystery, self-discovery, and the slow unraveling of their characters’ pasts are just as fun as killing monsters. You’ll have no name, no history you can remember, with just a hollow void where your life should be. Whether cursed, betrayed, or the victim of some arcane experiment, you’re left with only fragments: a strange symbol burned into their skin, a weapon they wield with unnatural skill, or nightmares of a life they can’t recall. Could you be a lost hero? A fugitive? Something worse? (It’s probably something worse.)
Amnesiac
Ability Scores: Any three your your choice
Feat: Forgotten Past
Skill Proficiencies: Any two your your choice
Tool Proficiencies: Any one your your choice
Equipment: 50 GP
Description
Your life is a puzzle with half the pieces missing. You awoke in an unfamiliar place without any memory of who you were or what brought you there. The only certainty you carry is provided by the voice in the back of your head telling you something is wrong. The whisper you here every night before you close your eyes is like a melody you can’t place. Everyone you meet, you treat with a mix of curiosity and caution.
You might have been anyone. You catch flashes of a life that could have been yours in your fractured memories. Those glimpses could be anything: the steady hand of a knight sworn to uphold justice, the kind words of a caregiver and protector of lost children, the master of rhyme and songs sung in taverns. These flashes also bring a faint pang of emotion. Whether grief, rage, or guilt, they can catch you off guard when you least expect it.
The remnants of your former self surface in moments of peril: a fluid command of the blade, an uncanny ability to predict deceit, or a voice you don’t recognize whispering strategies into your ear. These fragments are both a blessing and a curse, for each step closer to rediscovering your past brings you nearer to your identity, and a part of you is scared of what it may be.
Background Story Ideas:
A sword feels natural in your hands, but you don’t know what. Were you a protector of a worthy cause, a knight loyal to the throne, or a killer seeking redemption? You don’t know, but you feel the pull of duty in your soul, urging you to fight for a cause you can’t quite name.
A ring with a family crest is the only personal item on your person when you awoke with no memories. Are you a lost noble whose family may be searching for you, or a thief who stole it, possibly through violence?
Flashes of fire and screams haunt your dreams, and a deep sense of guilt weighs on you. Were you the cause of the tragedy, or were you its lone survivor? You wander to regain your memories and find peace from the burden of an unknown sin.
Origin Feat: Forgotten Past
You may have lost your memory, but these abilities are like second nature.
Decide Your Past. You can choose from the list of Origin feats to act as the Amnesiac’s Origin feat.
Like what we do?
Join our Patreon!
You’ll get early access to deep dives, the Homebrew Hoard
featuring 500+ monsters, ad-free articles, and more!
Follow us on Reddit to keep up to date on everything we talk about!
Art Credit - WotC
