Backgrounds With The Strongest Features In Dungeons & Dragons

Key Takeaways

• Character creation in D&D includes choosing a background, which adds depth to a character’s past and skills.
• Some backgrounds, like Caravan Specialist or Fisher, come with unique skills and abilities useful in specific scenarios.
• The success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has expanded interest in D&D, leading to new fans and adaptations in other media.

The Dungeons & Dragons IP changed the history of gaming when it took role-playing to another level and continues to include a myriad of options when it comes to building a unique character. After your new character has determined their race, class, and ability scores, it’s time to choose yet another crucial part of their story, a Background.

The Background helps fill out a character’s past, including childhood experiences, early training, previous exploits, and other factors that depend on location, class, or the adventuring module. Every Background is unique, but some have better features and abilities than others depending on the character the player is building.

It’s advisable to keep a
d10
, a
d8
, and a
d6
handy for this part of the process because rolling these dice will determine certain aspects, such as Ideals, Flaws, and Personality Traits. It should also be noted that some modules have variations of these Backgrounds. Both the player and the Dungeon Master need to get the details right depending on the adventure.

Updated on November 19th, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: The world of Dungeons & Dragons keeps expanding to include more adventures, gear, magical items, unique settings, and options for character Backgrounds. The literature and materials required to play are currently available in digital form, effectively removing the need for hard copies of anything, even dice. The success of Baldur’s Gate 3 enticed many new fans to try tabletop games, and other development studios are anxious to capitalize on the same popularity and success.

24 Caravan Specialist

Source: Princes Of The Apocolypse

• Skills: Animal Handling, Survival
• Special Ability: Wagon Master

The Caravan Specialist is a dedicated, seasoned traveler. The Wagon Master skill ensures they know all the routes, roads, pathways, and shortcuts across the land and how and when to move across them, as well as the best places to make camp. This is an ideal background for virtually any class provided they’re in an environment that requires extensive travel. How useful it is will depend on the exact module being played.

Skills included with the Caravan Specialist are Animal Handling and Survival, which make sense for a life spent on the road and in the wilderness. Characters with this background should have a high Wisdom score and start with a whip, a map, a tent for two people, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gold pieces.

23 Folk Hero

Source: D&D Player’s Handbook

• Skills: Animal Handling, Survival
• Special Ability: Rustic Hospitality

A nice callback to old CRPGs, for players who enjoyed classic games like Quest For Glory, the Folk Hero is just that; a hero. This character came from a dull, even humble family, but they were always destined for something greater. Wisdom is the stat connected with the skills granted by the Folk Hero Background.

The Rustic Hospitality feature included with this D&D Background guarantees an inherent connection with the common people and is a strong ability for any adventure. The Folk Hero has already made a name for themselves and often has skills related to wilderness survival, martial knowledge, or leadership positions in the local community.

The first step in choosing this Background is to roll a d10 to find out exactly how this character made a name for themselves if the player doesn’t have a story in mind already. Perhaps they stood up to a gang of roving bandits, slew a troublesome local monster, or led the lord’s army to victory.

22 Fisher

Source: Ghosts of Saltmarsh

• Skills: History, Survival
• Special Abilities: Harvest The Water and Fishing Tale

Imagine a Background similar to Caravan Specialist, but for the water instead of the land, and this is the Fisher. The Fisher background might be situational, but it’s useful for any adventure that takes place in a setting that includes a coastline, islands, lakes, or even a swamp.

Harvest the Water gives the Fisher an enhanced ability to make and use fishing tackle and bait no matter where they are, and should they be near a body of water, they also can make a modest living and feed a party of up to ten other adventurers. Should the Fisher want to entertain their friends, or make other characters more friendly toward them, they can spin a Fishing Tale about wrestling a giant lobster or chasing a ghost fish.

21 Charlatan

Source: The Player’s Handbook

• Skills: Deception, Sleight of Hand
• Special Abilities: Favorite Schemes and False Identities

Here is a popular Background for Rogues who seem to be either Criminals or Charlatans, one famous example being Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3. The Charlatan tends to mingle with the higher classes and prefers to talk their victims out of their riches, as opposed to picking their pockets or breaking a window as a Criminal would do.

The Charlatan’s special ability of Favorite Schemes is chosen using a 1d6 and can include specific grifts, like cheating at cards or forging documents. The Falde Identity ability ensures that the Charlatan always has another identity on hand in case they need to disappear at a moment’s notice.

A D&D character build for a spy, a crooked politician, or a high-class courtesan who moonlights as a jewel thief are all examples of Charlatans. These skills depend on one’s character’s Charisma and Dexterity score, so Rogues are an obvious choice, but classes like Bards and Monks also make good Charlatans.

20 Dimir Operative

Source: Guildmaster’s Guide To Ravnica

• Skills: Deception, Stealth
• Special Abilities: False Identity and Dimir Guild Spells

As the name implies, The Guildmaster’s Guild To Ravnica is all about guilds, and this Background makes the character a covert operative for the House of Dimir. Ideal for any class that likes to hide in the shadows, with a special nod to Rogues, characters with this Background masquerade as a member of a rival house while doing dirty work from the inside.

The exact details of this False Identity and how it relates to the party activities are something that has to be coordinated with the rest of the plot and storyline. The Dimir Operative can use its Dimir Guild Spells to steal secrets from minds and hearts just as easily as from a locked room or an enchanted diary using magical means.

These are powers that Bards and Rogues normally have but are taken to a higher, more powerful level. Missions could include all kinds of sabotage and subterfuge, and the stakes are high should the player blow their cover.

19 Athlete

Source: Mystic Odysseus Of Theros

• Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics
• Special Abilities: Favored Event and Echoes of Victory

Inspired by the Olympic traditions that make up the aesthetic of a module inspired by ancient Greek culture, the Athlete combines several ideal features that a character can use in a variety of situations. It’s a great way to get started on a Fighter, Monk, Rogue, or any class that focuses on dealing physical damage.

Rolling a d8 will determine the character’s Favored Sport and athletic Ideal, among other traits, and Echoes of Victory ensures that admirers or fans in nearby towns can offer the Athlete food and shelter. Is this person more dedicated to the camaraderie of the activity, or is their spirit more of a competitive type?

Regardless of these other details, choosing this Background grants a character proficiency with any kind of land vehicle and a bonus to Acrobatics and Athletic skill checks. That’s a huge advantage when traversing the world of any campaign.

18 Outlander

Source: D&D Player’s Handbook

• Skills: Athletics, Survival
• Special Abilities: Origin and Wanderer

One of the classic D&D Backgrounds from the original Player’s Handbook, the Outlander is still one of the most useful and powerful backgrounds. It’s especially apt if this character is a Wanderer traveling through the wilderness or has chosen a class like Druid or Barbarian that’s naturally connected to the outdoors.

Proficiencies for the Outlander include Survival and Athletics, which are determined by the Wisdom and Strength stats and are constantly tested in virtually every D&D adventure. Players can choose an Origin for the character among options that include Homesteader, Trapper, Guide, or Tribal-Nomad.

17 Simic Scientist

Source: Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica

• Skills: Arcana, Medicine
• Special Abilities: Clades, Projects, and Simic Guild spells

Characters from this Background live and work in the laboratories of the Simic Combine, where biomancers, terraformers, and Simic scientists carry out their daring and often ethically challenged experiments. Mutants, super-soldiers, hybrids, and other creatures are often the product of the Simic Sceientist’s work.

Every Simic Scientist is part of a Clade, which is a group of people with diverse talents working together towards a common goal or project, and this is determined by rolling a d6. Simic Guild spells are only available to classes with casting abilities or the Pact Magic feature, which means that most characters with this Background are Wizards, Warlocks, or Sorcerers, but Clerics and Rangers are also good choices.

16 Noble

Source: D&D Player’s Handbook

• Skills: History, Persuasion
• Special Ability: Position of Privilege

The strength of the Noble Background is in its versatility, which can extend to several classes and not just those that rely on Charisma, Intelligence, or Stealth abilities. Noble Knights and Retainers are variants of this Background, and they serve the Noble in a variety of capacities that can include a path to high society.

Regardless of the class, this Background gives any character an ability called Position of Privilege, which is similar to getting a Charisma boost. This means the character has a higher social status, and the public is inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, which could be the most valuable skill in D&D outside of combat.

15 Anthropologist

Source: Tomb Of Annihilation

• Skills: Insight, Religion
• Special Abilities: Adept Linguist and Cultural Chameleon

A versatile Background that’s not specific to any class but can be utilized by any wanderer, student, or traveler, the Anthropologist specializes in knowing more about other cultures. This life-long learning can pertain to history, culture, politics, religions, and even local cuisine.

This knowledge could have been obtained by experience, study, or a combination of both, as it’s reflected in high Wisdom and Intelligence stats. The details of this Background include being raised in a family of a different race, and they are often multilingual.

These are all handy skills that any adventuring party would be grateful to have, especially in a module like Tomb of Annihilation. An Anthropologist who is a member of the Digger’s Union, for example, is all about gathering information and valuable items.

14 Clan Crafter

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

• Skills: History, Insight
• Special Ability: Respect of the Stout Folk

The Clan Crafter is often of Dwarven ancestry, as the species is known for their skill with the forge and the workshop bench, but it’s not mandatory. The proficiency skills associated with this Background are History and Insight, and the player can choose one set of tools relevant to their art.

Other fun, unique accessories included in this Background’s items include a maker’s mark chisel to customize what the character makes or builds, a set of travel clothing, and a pouch with five gold pieces and a semi-precious gem. Factors like Ideals and Personality traits determine where the character learned their craft and what they hope to accomplish with it.

13 Criminal

Source: D&D Player’s Handbook

• Skills: Deception, Stealth
• Special Skills: Criminal Specialty and Criminal Contact

Although it’s often the case, characters don’t have to be Rogues to have a Criminal Background. A contradiction like this is often what makes a backstory more interesting. A variation on this D&D Background can also be the Spy or the neighborhood gang leader, but the line between each is fuzzy and should ultimately be determined by the Dungeon Master.

No matter what class a character is, choosing this Background will grant them skills like Lockpicking and Stealth-related abilities and handy accessories like thieves’ tools and a crowbar. The choice of Criminal specialty is the real advantage here, ranging from Blackmailer to Smuggler, and the criminal character can still take advantage of old criminal contacts in the present time, connections that can prove useful when the party is stuck.

12 Astral Drifter

Source: Spelljamer: Adventures In Space

• Skills: Insight, Religion
• Special Abilities: Divine Contact and Longevity

It’s a fine life traveling the Silver Void for fun and profit, but there’s a price to pay for the decades of living on the Astral Plane. Those characters with the Astral Drifter Background no longer feel hunger or thirst and stopped aging centuries ago. Most of the species of this Background are Celestial or Gith, but with the right Dungeon Master and use of lore, it could be anyone.

Astral Drifters have a unique feature called Divine Contact. They’ve had some kind of close and intimate communication with a deity, which gave them the Magic Initiate skill, specifically the Cleric. Players should speak with the DM to determine which god or roll a d20 to make a random determination.

11 Entertainer

Skills: Acrobatics, Performance

• Source: D&D Player’s Handbook
• Special Abilities: Entertainer Routines and By Popular Demand

It’s not just for Bards, although that would be the most obvious choice for this Background. Players can get creative and use this D&D Background for a character who has expertise in disguise or specific types of stagecraft, like pyrotechnics or choreography. A variant is the Gladiator, just to illustrate how far this can go, but it’s up to the DM and also depends on the campaign.

This Background offers bonuses in handy skills like Acrobatics and Performance, which are determined by Dexterity and Charisma, but the really strong benefit is By Popular Demand. A character with an Entertainer Background can always find lodging at various places that welcome entertainers, including theaters, taverns, and even circus tents. This is incredibly handy in a game where finding a safe place to rest can be a real problem.

10 Mage of High Sorcery

Source: Dragonlance, Shadow of the Dragon Queen

• Skills: Arcana, History
• Special Abilities: Initiate of High Sorcery feat, Mage of High Sorcery Trinkets

There’s no mage class in D&D, so what this Background refers to is an organization that consists of Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. The Mages of High Sorcery study magic and prevent less educated spellcasters from using their powers in unethical or malicious ways as well as devoting their time and skills to further research and study. Characters with this Background can ask for food and lodging from fellow Mages as they travel, and can also expect a warm welcome at any Tower of High Sorcery.

This Background gives the character an extra feat, Initiate of High Sorcery, which gives them one way to enhance their magic by connecting their powers to one of the three moons of Krynn. The trinkets are also fun and interesting, and the player rolls a d6 to determine which one they get. Unopened letters, broken wands, and small puzzles are just a few of the possibilities.

9 Far Traveler

Source: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

• Skills: Insight, Perception
• Special Abilities: Where Are You From, Why Are You Here, and All Eyes On You

No matter what module they’re playing, this character is always from a mysterious place somewhere far away. The Far Traveler Background can tie into a character’s class or race in a variety of interesting ways. As exotic as it is, it’s still somewhere in Faerun, unless the player and DM have created something special from another plane of reality, which is also a possibility.

This character will attract a lot of attention from strangers, which can be good or bad depending on the party’s intentions. Along with unique items like a musical instrument, maps, a gaming set, or other memorabilia from their nation of origin, a Far Traveler also gets some nice boosts to Perception and Insight checks on top of an already high Wisdom score.

8 Silverquill Student

Source: Strixhaven: A Curriculum Of Chaos

• Skills: Intimidation, Persuasion
• Special Ability: Silverquill Initiate

This unique module is designed to mimic an actual college curriculum, which makes sense because it’s about a school of mages. Strixhaven University is located on an ethereal plane where some exciting and fantastic adventures take place, with a whole adventuring resource dedicated to study and magic.

The Silverquill could be called the “Silver Tongue,” as it’s a school of rhetoric, wit, inspiring battle poetry, and insults. It’s one of the best Background options that exist for the party leader, and aside from the RP and public uses, this D&D Background allows the player to cast their spells faster than others.

7 Haunted One

Source: Player’s Handbook

• Skills: Choose Any Two From Arcana, Investigation, Religion, Or Survival
• Special Abilities: Harrowing Event and Heart of Darkness

Every character needs something to motivate them, and for some, it’s a terrifying event or gruesome tragedy. That’s the basic premise behind the Haunted One Background, and although it’s not limited to classes like Warlocks or Sorcerers, it can be one way to complete the backstory for a character with a haunted past.

The Harrowing Event that defines this Background is randomly selected using a d10 and can include surviving a monster attack, escaping from a witch, or reading a cursed tome. One example is the Dark Urge from BG3, an Origin character who is haunted by the Time of Troubles and the god Bhaal.

Haunted Ones have better Survival, Insight, Religion, and Arcana, but the most useful ability with the Haunted One background is called Heart of Darkness. This ensures that the characters will always find sympathy from the people they meet on their travels, and that can take the form of money, food, or a place to sleep.

6 Faceless

Source: Baldur’s Gate – Descent into Avernus

• Skills: Deception, Intimidation
• Special Abilities: Faceless Persona and Dual Personalities

For those players who are interested in the library of material related to the Baldur’s Gate franchise, descent into Avernus is an adventure that takes place in the months before the events of BG3. It explains the backstory of the Tieflings and how they ended up as refugees from Elturel seeking refuge in the Grove and explains the work Karlach was doing for Zariel.

The Faceless Background allows players to switch between two different personas with such ease that it’s almost supernatural, and their true selves become unrecognizable thanks to skills like Dual Personalities. Their Faceless Persona is determined by a d10 roll and could be an impersonation of a famous person, another hero, or even a vengeful spirit.

5 Gambler

Source: Acquisitions Incorporated

• Skills: Deception, Insight
• Special Abilities: Never Tell Me The Odds

This Background gives one’s character Deception and Insight saving throws along with a gaming set. Players can roleplay someone who indulges in games of chance out of boredom, desperation, or just for fun. This might seem like a minor detail, but it’s related to party morale and the atmosphere of the game.

Other handy abilities granted by this Background include a lucky charm, a set of fine clothes, and a feature called Never Tell Me The Odds. This is similar to the Lucky feat in that it gives the character an improvement on their saving throws, but it works for non-combat situations. The Gambler is also the ideal character with any activity that includes foresight, like a plan needed for a robbery or mapping out a dungeon.