Whether you’re crafting a new character or looking to enhance your Aarakocra’s backstory, this guide unveils the five best backgrounds that will elevate your avian adventurer to unparalleled heights.
So, spread your wings and prepare to delve into the perfect blend of narrative richness and gameplay prowess as we explore backgrounds tailored to suit the soaring spirits of Aarakocra in D&D 5e.
Contents
What Are Backgrounds in D&D 5e?
Backgrounds are more than simple stat boosts in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. They reveal where your character came from, why you became an adventurer, and your place in the world.
Before choosing your Background, ask yourself a few questions:
- What was I before I became an adventurer?
- Why did I stop doing what my Background explains and become an adventurer?
- Where did I get the money to buy my starting equipment?
- Where did I learn the skills used in my class?
- What’s different about me compared to others with the same Background?
Best Backgrounds for Aarakocra
5. Hermit
Skill Proficiencies – Religion, Medicine
Tool Proficiencies – Herbalism kit
Languages – Choose one
Equipment – A set of common clothes, a winter blanket, a scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a Herbalism kit, and 5 GP.
Why the Hermit?
A Hermit lives a Life of Seclusion, but this seclusion resulted in a campaign-changing discovery.
Whether you picked up a cursed artifact, discovered a secret of the universe, or befriended a god, anything is possible when you’re a Hermit Aarakocra.
4. Sage
Skill Proficiencies – History, Arcana
Tool Proficiencies – None
Languages – Two you choose
Equipment – A set of common clothes, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you haven’t been able to answer, a bottle of ink, a small knife, a quill, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Sage?
Aarakocra already make good spellcasters, but being a Sage amplifies this image further.
Researcher also makes for the perfect “know-it-all” character that you can always ask to recall lore or information, especially about important developments in the campaign (if the DM allows it).
3. Fisher
Skill Proficiencies – Survival, History
Languages – Choose one
Equipment – A set of traveler’s clothes, a favorite fishing lure or oiled leather wading boots, a fishing tackle, a net, and a belt pouch with 10GP.
Why the Fisher?
Aarakocra are giant birds, and birds usually like catching fish, so even if you don’t use the Harvest the Water or Fishing Tale feature, it makes for a perfect seclusionary fisherman living alone by the water.
Harvest the Water can be vital in a water-based campaign, especially if you make it more like Outlander in the sense that you can fish for food from bodies of water.
2. Entertainer
Skill Proficiencies – Performance, Acrobatics
Tool Proficiencies – One type of musical instrument and a Disguise kit
Languages – None
Equipment – One musical instrument you choose, a costume, the favor of an admirer (trinket, love letter, or lock of hair), and a pouch with 15GP.
Why the Entertainer?
Aarakocra can become good Bards and Sorcerers, and with that comes high Charisma and an ideal chance of becoming an Entertainer.
Having By Popular Demand can make acquiring lodging and food much easier for your party as they travel from town to town on their adventure.
1. Outlander
Skill Proficiencies – Survival, Athletics
Tool Proficiencies – One type of musical instrument
Languages – One you choose
Equipment – A trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler’s clothes, a hunting trap, a staff, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Outlander?
Outlander works for almost any class you choose, and since you can fly, it makes scouting that much easier if you’re a Monk, Rogue, or Ranger.
Not to mention that you can easily find water and food, enough to feed up to 5 party members.
Final Thoughts
When choosing a background for your Aarakocra character in Dungeons & Dragons 5e, consider the rich tapestry of possibilities that can enhance both their narrative depth and gameplay dynamics.
Whether uncovering secrets of the universe as a Hermit, living off the land as a Fisher, honing survival instincts as an Outlander, unraveling arcane mysteries as a Sage, or filling folks with joy as an Entertainer, each background brings a unique flavor to your avian adventurer.