Background Guttersnipe

Guttersnipe

Guttersnipe

You grew up on the streets, scraping together what little you could to survive. Your life was hard, but it taught you how to fend for yourself through cunning, strength, or trickery. Now, those street-smarts are your ticket to a better life. You know how to navigate the underbelly of society, making you a valuable asset for tasks that require less-than-legal expertise.

Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth

Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ Tools and Gaming Set

Languages: 1 of your choice that is common in your area (i.e. the language of a local thieves' guild or the slang of the city streets).

Equipment

A small trinket you’ve managed to steal, a set of common clothes, a small knife, a hood or mask for concealing your identity, and a pouch containing 10 gp.

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your class:

  • clothes, common
  • small knife

Feature: Streetwise

You have an innate sense of understanding urban environments. You can find shortcuts through cities, identify the quickest routes to escape, and know where to find the black market. You can also find a place to hide, lay low, or obtain illicit goods or information more easily than others.

Suggested Characteristics

Growing up on the streets can shape your personality in a variety of ways. Some guttersnipes become hardened, while others develop a strong sense of community and friendship.

d8Personality Trait
d1I am highly protective of my personal belongings.
d2I'm quick to flee when things go south; better safe than sorry.
d3A good insult is my preferred way of getting to know someone.
d4I always have a joke or sarcastic remark ready.
d5I like to brag about my "acquisitions", even if they're just minor trinkets.
d6I’m more comfortable sleeping outside than in a bed.
d7I can't resist helping someone in a tight spot.
d8I trust no one completely and believe everyone has an angle.
d6Ideal
d1Freedom: The streets have taught me that freedom is the highest good. (Chaotic)
d2Community: I look out for those who look out for me – like a street family. (Good)
d3Survival: It's a harsh world, and I'll do what it takes to make it. (Neutral)
d4Ambition: One day, I'll rise to the top of the underworld. (Any)
d5Revenge: Those who have wronged me will pay. (Evil)
d6Adaptability: Blend in and get by. Don't rock the boat. (Neutral)
d6Bond
d1I owe a significant debt to a kind stranger who took me in.
d2I was separated from a sibling at a young age and have been searching for them ever since.
d3An old mentor taught me everything I know about thieving, and they mean the world to me.
d4I love a local neighborhood as if it were an extension of myself.
d5A specific lawman has always let me go. I owe them, whether I like it or not.
d6A cruel gang leader sees me as a threat and wants me gone from their territory.
d6Flaw
d1I have a "get-rich-quick" mentality and take too many risks.
d2I sometimes take things that don’t belong to me without thinking.
d3I'm slow to trust, and even slower to forgive.
d4I have a secret that, if exposed, could ruin me in the underworld.
d5My vices can get the better of me.
d6I'm notorious for making promises I can't keep.

Credits: Squire 5