Assassins Creed (5e Background)

Assassins Creed

You have traveled far and wide in search of information. Or perhaps you were searching for an important artifact. Was it for personal gain? Were you hired? The name of the game is infiltration and extraction. You've spied on enemies and allies alike, so much that the line might have blurred? All you know is that you had to acquire what you needed and get out alive. A master of disguise and blending into the crowd. Have you held onto your sense of self? Do you know your identity outside of the job? No holds barred when it comes to this line of work. You've stolen and killed to get out alive. Is that, in truth, what you really enjoy most about the job? The risk? The violence? The disguises? Or do you, at heart, wish you could be living a very different life? One that doesn't keep you running at every turn?

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana or History, Deception or Persuasion, Performance or Sleight of Hand, Stealth

Tool Proficiencies: Simple ranged weapons, daggers, lance, longsword, rapier, shortsword, blowgun, hand crossbow, Navigators tools

Languages: Thieves' Cant, plus one of your choice, must be common/standard

Equipment: Navigators tools, one weapon categorized with piercing damage (along with 20 'shots' of ammunition, if applicable; ie 20 arrows, 20 bullets, etc)

Specialization

Based on the different games released. From Pirates, Black Flag, and the like, the Buccaneer has water vehicle proficiency. Broadly, Cultist is for those like Brotherhood, as well as fictional(?) ones like Odyssey and Valhalla. Cultist has advantage on all persuasion checks related to convincing NPCs of facts(?) or stories of any nature. The Storyteller is for the near-fourth-wall-breaking aspect of Assassins Creed, where you are playing a person hired to live through the story in order to find out what happened. Storytellers have advantage on all charisma checks. For every mutiny, and probably The Tyranny of Kind Washington, there is the Rebel which has advantage on persuasion checks related to convincing NPCs to join their cause. Be that to lend a passive hand, or to join the party in adventuring. The Lost Archive, The Curse of the Pharaohs, for them, there is the Archeologist. Archeologists have advantage on investigation checks and have proficiency with Thieves' tools and miners picks. Syndicate (and more than a few smaller ones) are why there is Crusader. Be it for the greater good or a fight for a belief, the Crusader isn't necessarily rebelling, but they are traveling with their war cry for revolution. Raiding, merciless, and arrogant, the Crusader has proficiency with both land and water vehicles.

d6	Specialization
1	Buccaneer
2	Cultist
3	Storyteller
4	Rebel
5	Archeologist
6	Crusader

Feature: Echo of the Great Game (from Spy Background)

Years of stealth and trickery have taught you how to not draw attention to yourself. The way you walk, talk and move are deliberately forgettable, and utterly unextraordinary. While you are wearing clothes appropriate to the area you are in, no one can remember your face nor any features about you, unless they actively make an effort to do so.

Alternate Feature: Hurried Traveler (from Messenger Background)

You travel the main roads daily and remain cautious even when travelling quickly. This allows you to travel at a fast pace without penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores.

Suggested Characteristics

What kind of player are you? Why did you play assassin? What motivated you to become an assassin?

d8	Personality Trait
1	Sometimes I do something unnecessary to accomplish something, just because its more fun. (ie: traveling by roof instead of on the street when there's no reason to)
2	I'm not much of a celebrator, once a job is done, I'd much rather start on the next one than sit around and rejoice.
3	I have a one track mind, which is usually the track for getting the mission done.
4
5
6
7
8

I'm keeping these vague because of how diverse the motivations are in-game. Some may fit better with some specializations better than others, but homebrew is the perfect example for why things don't have to be make sense or fit perfectly. Pick one and flesh it out to fit your character!

d6	Ideal
1	Revenge (fighting to right a personal injustice, whether it was direct or indirect) Suggested: True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral
2	Justice (fighting to right an injustice, non-personal, may or may not have experienced the injustice, ie: unfair tax brackets, etc) Suggested: Neutral Good or Chaotic Good
3	Adventure (fighting cause its fun, you likely enjoy the thrill, also the sights) Suggested: Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral
4	Kills (fighting because you enjoy fighting, perhaps even just enjoy killing) (no shame, assassination opportunities are so fun) Suggested: Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil
5	Duty (fighting because you feel like you have to. Doesn't really matter why. It's not likely an emotional investment type thing, more like it's a job only I can do, so I must) Suggested: True Neutral
6	<-Ideal->. (<-Alignment->)

d6	Bond
1	My word is my oath. Once I agree to do something, I will follow through completely or die trying.
2	FUCK I love traveling
3	I'm way too attached to my weapon-of-choice. Like, I can fight without it, I can fight with other weapons, but I REALLY don't want to.
4	I'm very determined to find lost information, and I'll do nearly anything to acquire it.
5	I'm really into historical and cultural attire, and have a strong desire to dress appropriately and accurately for the place that I'm in.
6

d6	Flaw
1	Sometimes I kill people just for fun. Or kill people that didn't necessarily need to die.
2	Sometimes I go to dramatic lengths just for an exciting or aesthetic execution.
3	I can get too caught up in my surroundings that I lose focus on the task at hand.
4	I often think there is only one or two ways to accomplish something. Any other way can feel very wrong and even give me headaches.
5	I can be really pessimistic sometimes because for some reason I have a strong feeling that I will die if I don't complete my mission. (reference to beginning cutscene in the first Assassins Creed, AKA the players motivation to participate in the Animus project)
6	I tend to turn to violence instead of talking things out, particularly with people I don't know personally.

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