Soldier

War has been your life for as long as you care to remember. You trained as a youth, studied the use of weapons and armour, learned basic survival techniques, including how to stay alive on the battlefield. You might have been part of a standing national army or a mercenary company, or perhaps a member of a local militia who rose to prominence during a recent war.

When you choose this background, work with your GM to determine which military organisation you were a part of, how far through its ranks you progressed, and what kind of experiences you had during your military career. Was it a standing army, a town guard, or a village militia? Or it might have been a noble’s or merchant’s private army, or a mercenary company.

Attribute Score Increase

Increase one mental attribute of your choice by 1 and add +1 to your Awareness.

Connections

  1. Your old commanding officer who still wants you to rejoin.
  2. The commander who callously sent your unit into a slaughter.
  3. Your shady war buddy who can get their hands on anything with no questions asked.
  4. Your best friend who went missing on the battlefield.
  5. The comrade who saved your life at the risk of their own.
  6. The ghost who haunts you.
  7. The superior officer you punched (for abusing civilians? For insulting your honor? For preventing you from looting?)
  8. The scary experimental war construct you accompanied on a dangerous mission.
  9. The golden-armored knight with ridiculously good teeth who was always giving inspiring speeches.
  10. The enemy officer who captured you.

Equipment

An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, broken blade, or piece of a banner), a set of bone dice or deck of cards, a set of common clothes and a pouch containing 10 gp

Specialty

During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role:

d8 Speciality
1 Officer
2 Scout
3 Infantry
4 Cavalry
5 Healer
6 Quartermaster
7 Standard bearer
8 Support staff (cook, blacksmith, or the like)

Mementos

  1. A broken horn, tooth, or other trophy salvaged from a monster’s corpse.
  2. A trophy won in a battle (a tattered banner, a ceremonial sword, or similar).
  3. A gaming set.
  4. A letter from your sweetheart.
  5. An old wound that twinges in bad weather.
  6. A letter you’re supposed to deliver to a dead comrade’s family.
  7. A horrifying memory you can’t escape.
  8. A horned or plumed helmet.
  9. The sword you broke over your knee rather than fight for those bastards another day.
  10. A medal for valour.

Feature: Military Rank

You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organisation still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognised.

Variant Feature: Mercenary Life

You know the mercenary life as only someone who has experienced it can. You are able to identify mercenary companies by their emblems, and you know a little about any such company, including the names and reputations of its commanders and leaders, and who has hired them recently. You can find the taverns and festhalls where mercenaries abide in any area, as long as you speak the language. You can find mercenary work between adventures sufficient to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.