Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Background: Storyteller
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Deep Magic Volume 2
Storyteller
Ability Scores:
Feat:
Skill Proficiencies: History, Performance
Tool Proficiency: Calligrapher’s supplies
Equipment: A set of calligrapher’s supplies, a leather-bound journal containing your stories, three bottles of ink, six quills, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Languages: One of your choice
Stories
Wherever you go, you amass stories. Some stories change over time, and some are immutable as bedrock. You keep your stories in a large, leather-bound book filled with scribbles and drops of ink. Alternatively, your stories are fixed in your mind, and for each story, you carry a small object to help you remember it. The object might be a souvenir from the event that inspired your story, a memento from the person who first taught you the story, a multi-faceted device whose many faces you count off as you tell each part of the story, or similar.
Trait
Ideal
Bond
Flaw
Storytellers serve a multitude of purposes within their community. Some storytellers act as historians, keeping memories and traditions alive through generations. Others see stories as the perfect vehicle for imparting wisdom and lessons to those in need of such things. Still other storytellers are entertainers, keeping crowds and distinguished guests rapt. The stories kept by storytellers can range in importance from a simple, cautionary tale to a secret, magical ritual. As adventurers, storytellers seek to transform their exploits into crafted tales to serve as they see fit.
Features
If you spend at least one hour telling a story to an audience, you can receive minor gifts of appreciation for the story. These gifts are appropriate to the gift giver’s social and economic standing: a child might gift you a handful of picked wildflowers or a shiny rock they found, a passing noble captivated by your story might give you a few coins, or an innkeeper might gift you a discounted or free meal or room for entertaining their guests with your story. Alternatively, you can spend four hours telling stories at different locations within an urban center and earn enough to accommodate a modest lifestyle for that day. Regardless of the number of stories you tell in a day, you can earn these gifts from no more than one story each day, and you can earn enough to accommodate only a modest lifestyle each day.
When crafting your stories, think about the story’s purpose and themes. Is it a historical recounting of a great feat among your people? Is it a tale of foolishness and wisdom meant to impart some lesson on its listener? Is it purely for entertainment with plenty of jokes and antics? Is it about overcoming obstacles or discovering a great truth? At the GM’s discretion, a story with a theme and purpose that aligns closely with the audience listening to the story might lead to larger gifts, might supply you with a comfortable lifestyle that day, or might earn you other campaign-specific rewards, such as earning the trust of a people or bolstering the morale of troops before a battle.
Suggested Motivations
Storytellers consider themselves craftspeople similar to masons or blacksmiths. They are often outgoing if somewhat self-serious. While often charming, a storyteller’s tendency to see events as material for their next tale can strain some friendships and detach them slightly from the reality of a situation.Trait
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my community alive through telling their story. |
| 2 | I change my mind and mood on a whim to keep things interesting. |
| 3 | My work is important, and so am I. |
| 4 | Every breath is an opportunity to learn a new story. |
| 5 | I love people, especially when they are listening to me. |
| 6 | I have an endless amount of energy. |
| 7 | I despise the inauthentic—give me reality! |
| 8 | I have many friends, some of whom have names I can remember. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Community. My stories reflect my current community. The community is important to me. (Any) |
| 2 | Craft. I consider myself a craftsperson and work to improve my storytelling skills. (Any) |
| 3 | Joy. I try to bring joy to my community and the world through storytelling. (Good) |
| 4 | Meaning. My stories provide a sense of meaning to my audience. My stories serve as positive points of reflection. (Good) |
| 5 | Misery. I love to feel an audience wilt and wither. I feed on their discomfort. (Evil) |
| 6 | Meandering. I tell stories the same way I travel to a new destination: wandering here and there and straying off the path as I please. (Chaotic) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will use my stories to teach the world about my people or community. |
| 2 | I will tell a story to the most powerful beings alive. |
| 3 | I am hunting for the first story ever told. |
| 4 | I will use my stories to heal the sick and the heartbroken. |
| 5 | I must be present at major events so I can later tell their tale. |
| 6 | I must find the storyteller who knows the ending to the most incredible story ever told. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I sometimes treat my friends and family like an audience rather than a close relation. |
| 2 | I use my memory for storytelling, leaving me otherwise forgetful and absent-minded. |
| 3 | My mood sours and I become defensive when I cannot perform for extended periods. |
| 4 | The responsibility of holding my community’s stories sometimes causes me to despair. |
| 5 | I become inconstant and bitter while drafting a new story. |
| 6 | To make a good story, I sometimes choose the interesting course of action instead of the safe one. |
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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:31, Jun 2 2025