A character’s background has a lot of depth behind it, even if some players don’t regard it as too important.
Backgrounds usually contain two essential aspects that a character needs to consider: whether the stats are beneficial and what the background says about the character before becoming an adventurer.
For a full roleplaying Wizard, you might look for backgrounds focusing on arcane study, intellectual choices, and powerful magic.
Best Wizard Backgrounds
5. Faction Agent
Description
Skill Proficiencies – Insight and one Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom skill you choose, as appropriate to your faction
Tool Proficiencies – None
Languages – Two of your choice
Equipment
- Badge or emblem (Value: 5 GP Weight: 0) of your faction
- Copy of a seminal faction text (or a code book for a covert faction)
- Set of common clothes (Value: 5 SP Weight: 3lbs)
- Pouch (Value: 5 SP Weight: 1lb) containing 15 GP
Explanation
Faction Agent gives you some nice skill flexibility when it comes to proficiency.
The languages aren’t too great, as you’ll get access to Tongues, but the equipment you gain can be quite valuable – especially the emblem or seminal text.
4. Hermit
Description
Skill Proficiencies – Medicine, Religion
Tool Proficiencies – Herbalism kit
Languages – One of your choice
Equipment
- Scroll case (Value: 1 GP Weight: 1 lb) stuffed full of notes from your prayers or studies
- Winter blanket (Value: 5 SP Weight: 3 lbs)
- Set of common clothes (Value: 5 SP Weight: 3lbs)
- Herbalism kit (Value: 5 GP Weight: 3 lbs)
- 5 GP
Explanation
The Hermit background contains two useful Wizard skills, as well as an additional language, which is a good addition even though Wizards have access to Tongues.
You also get proficiency with the Herbalism kit, which many players use to make healing potions and is a great addition to your kit.
3. Acolyte
Description
Skill Proficiencies – Insight, Religion
Tool Proficiencies – None
Languages – Two of your choice
Equipment
- Holy symbol (a gift given to you when you entered priesthood)
- Prayer book or prayer wheel
- 5 Sticks of incense
- Vestments (Value: 0 Weight: 0)
- Set of common clothes (Value: 5 SP Weight: 3lbs)
- Pouch (Value: 5 SP Weight: 1lb) containing 15 GP
Explanation
Acoclyte has two decent Wizard skills and two languages, letting it rise above Hermit in terms of usefulness.
The only problem with Acolyte is that it doesn’t have something exceptionally useful other than its background details fitting quite well with the Wizard.
2. Cloistered Scholar
Description
Skill Proficiencies – History, as well as a choice of one from among Religion, Arcana, and Nature
Tool Proficiencies – None
Languages – Two of your choice
Equipment
- The scholar’s robes (Value: 1 GP Weight: 4 lbs) of your cloister
- Writing kit (small pouch [Value: 5 SP Weight: 1lb] with a quill [Value: 2 CP Weight: 0], a bottle of ink [Value: 10 GP Weight: 0.0625 lb], some folded parchment [Value: 1 SP Weight: 0], and a small penknife [Value: 0 Weight: 0])
- Borrowed book (Value: 25 GP Weight: 5 lbs) on the subject of your current study
- Pouch (Value: 5 SP Weight: 1lb) containing 10 GP
Explanation
Having two knowledge skills (especially one Wizards can’t usually take) makes a big difference throughout the game.
While it also gives two extra languages, you’ll eventually unlock the Tongues spell, making them less effective.
However, the additional items you get with Cloistered Scholar are very good for you and can fit well into your character’s lore.
1. Sage
Description
Skill Proficiencies – Arcana, History
Tool Proficiencies – None
Languages – Two of your choice
Equipment
- Bottle of ink (Value: 10 GP Weight: 0.0625 lb)
- Quill (Value: 2 CP Weight: 0)
- Small knife [Value: 0 Weight: 0]
- Letter from a dead colleague posing a question you haven’t been able to answer
- Set of common clothes (Value: 5 SP Weight: 3lbs)
- Pouch (Value: 5 SP Weight: 1lb) containing 10 GP
Explanation
Sage gives you good Wizard skills, as well as proficiency with the Herbalism kit, which you’ll use to craft healing potions.
The additional language is helpful, but you do get Tongues, so it’ll become less useful later on.
Final Thoughts
Wizards are man-made prodigies, studious and information-hungry for anything and everything they have yet to come by.
The backgrounds described above are some of the best for a Wizard, giving them good benefits and a believable backstory.
Though these backgrounds fit quite well with Wizards, you can always choose to keep the benefits but change the details surrounding the background to match your character’s flavor.