D&D Backgrounds - Fallen Prodigy
Mozart, Picasso, Bobby Fischer - all prodigies in their own right. But for every one that will be remembered throughout history, there are a hundred that never lived up to their potential or fell from grace. This is who you are, and what you do with the rest of your life is up to you.
This background is a general guideline. You should tailor it based on your class selection. A child genius wizard will have a much different set of skills than a fighter.
Fallen Prodigy
Ability Scores: Intelligence, Strength, Wisdom
Feat: Faded Prowess
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Athletics, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Tinkers’ Tools
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Tinkers’ Tools or (B) 50 GP
Description
The prodigy has many forms - someone who exhibits mastery of something at a level comparable to that of an adult when they are a child; a religious figure who is supposed to lead people out of the (or into, depending on their beliefs) darkness; or a child who nurtures a hidden talent to eventually become a great leader. Whatever their skill, a prodigy will amaze some, frighten others, and foster jealously in those not a talented as them. As you see, they come in many forms. The gods choose some. Some are born with a deep tie to the arcane art, and others show incredible martial prowess and innate ability to lead.
But not all prodigies fulfill the greatness they were destined for. Fate is a fickle bitch. Perhaps you faltered under pressure, faced betrayal, or chose to abandon your gift. It’s caused you to be cynical, distrustful of authority. Now, you carry the weight of lost potential, and to make things even more difficult, you still have the abilities, talents, or traits that made you a prodigy in the first place. So now, you’re haunted by what could have been, walking a fine line between redemption and descent into villainy.
Background Story Ideas:
You were the youngest warrior anointed as a knight in the kingdom you grew up in. But after leading your men into a massacre, you were stripped of your title and cast out.
You were a young, divine oracle who could speak with the gods and were blessed with visions of the future. But when the visions stopped, you were labeled a fraud, and even worse, all your previous predictions were considered falsehoods and lies.
A celebrated child spellcaster, you were able to cast spells at levels beyond what you should have been capable of. Now, however, your mastery of the arcane has become unstable—sometimes overpowered, other times failing to cast at all.
Origin Feat: Faded Prowess
This brilliance that once made you a prodigy has faded as you’ve grown. Those talents are not entirely forgotten, and flashes of greatness shine through in moments of need.
Echo of Genius: When you roll an ability check tied to your former prodigious skill (e.g., Arcana for a wizard, Performance for a bard, etc), you can roll a d6 and add it to the result, possibly turning a failure into a success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses on a long rest.
Mastery. You gain Expertise in one tool, instrument, or gaming set of your choice that is relevant to your past.
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Art Credit - WotC
