Astral Elves, with their ethereal beauty and deep connection to the cosmos, bring a mystical element to D&D 5e campaigns.
Choosing the right background for your Astral Elf character can add layers of depth and intrigue to their backstory.
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 Astral Elves
5. Feylost
Skill Proficiencies – Survival, Deception
Tool Proficiencies – One type of musical instrument
Languages – Choose one among Sylvan, Goblin, Gnomish, or Elvish
Equipment – A set of traveler’s clothes, a musical instrument (choose one), three trinkets (determined by rolling the Feywild Trinkets table), and a pouch with 8GP.
Why the Feylost?
Feylost characters have the Feywild Visitor feature, being visited by a creature of the Feywild whenever they take a long rest or are put in a deep trance.
Visits can last minutes or hours, and you remember each visit upon waking. These visits can bring messages, red herrings, nonsense, and insights controlled by the DM.
Conversations are always held in a language you can understand.
Long ago, the Astral Elves ventured from the Feywild into the Astral Plane. Yet, for some reason, you cannot escape the grasp of the Feywild, being visited by a Feywild Visitor whenever you’ve gone into an Astral Trance.
4. 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 Astral Elf.
Astral Elves live boringly long lives, often seeing the world through the lens of time and searching for secrets far beyond the comprehension of most in the Material Plane.
Their wisdom and knowledge far surpass many other races, especially those who have dwelled in the Astral Plane for their entire lives.
3. Far Traveler
Skill Proficiencies – Perception, Insight
Tool Proficiencies – One musical instrument or gaming set you choose (most likely something native to your homeland)
Languages – Choose one
Equipment – Set of traveler’s clothes, one gaming set or musical instrument you’re proficient with, a small piece of jewelry worth 10GP in the style of your homeland’s craftsmanship, poorly wrought maps from your homeland depicting where you are in Faerûn, and a pouch with 5GP.
Why the Far Traveler?
Far Traveler gives you the All Eyes on You feature, marking you as foreign and garnering attention from everyone, including commoners, scholars, nobles, merchants, princes, and kings.
Astral Elves have traveled from the Feywild to the Astral Plane, and when they come to the Material Plane, they tend to stand out among normal beings.
Their unparalleled wisdom, long lives, and secrets of the multiverse make them some of the most sought-after species by any important figurehead in the Material Plane.
2. Astral Drifter
Skill Proficiencies – Religion, Insight
Languages – Choose two (Celestial or Gith recommended)
Equipment – A set of traveler’s clothes, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a diary, and a pouch with 10GP.
Why the Astral Drifter?
Astral Drifters get the Longevity and Divine Contact features.
Longevity makes 20d6 years older than you look, and Divine Contact gives you the Magic Initiate Feat (though you must choose a Cleric for the Feat) as you’ve come across a wandering deity in the Astral Plane.
Note: The deity has shared a bit of obscure cosmic lore or one secret with you.
Astral Elves mainly dwell in the Astral Plane, so their chances of wandering across a deity are much better than most, especially because of their age.
What the deity said to your character might not make sense at the time, but maybe it ties into your backstory, an NPC you’ll meet in the future, or a party member.
1. 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?
Sages have the Researcher feature, allowing them to effortlessly recall information and lore.
If they do not know the information, they will know where to find it, such as in a university, scriptorium, or some other place of knowledge.
However, some knowledge is extremely difficult to obtain and can take a long time to unlock or force you to perform questionable actions.
Astral Elves have been exposed to lore mortal races only dream of, which is why some Astral Elves understand exactly where to find some of the most sacred lore in the multiverse.
Final Thoughts
Backgrounds like the Sage, Hermit, or Far Traveler can deepen an Astral Elf’s mystique and tie them more closely to the mystical realms they call home.
Meanwhile, the Astral Drifter or Feylost backgrounds offer intriguing contrasts that can add layers to your Astral Elf’s character.
Choose a background that resonates with your vision for your character, and prepare for a journey through the stars that’s as enlightening as it is adventurous.