TEXT: Three Suggestions for... 
  Interesting Mentors 
  When he says jump, you jump! Your mentor is the person who made you who you 
  are. They helped train you, they taught you the basic abilities of your class, or 
  perhaps they gave you the confidence to become who you are today, or are 
  destined to become.  
  There are various reasons for your character to have a mentor, and not all of them 
  are voluntary. You might have been handed over to the monks as a baby, and grew 
  up under Mother Kikamore’s spiritual guidance. Maybe your parents used to toss 
  you into the training yard of the town’s marshal every afternoon, to be taught how 
  to “be a man”. Perhaps you had a personal, secret friend – a fey-like being who 
  appeared before you every full moon, whispering things that opened your eyes to 
  unknown worlds.  
  Your mentor is or was the one responsible for making you the person you are today. 
  But the real question is about tomorrow. They taught you most or even everything 
  you need to become a 1st level adventurer. Do you still need their assistance, 
  perhaps for several more levels, until you’ve “mastered” your profession? Do they 
  consider your apprenticeship complete? Are they happy with your decision to leave 
  them? Your relationship with your mentor was a huge part of your upbringing; now 
  that you’re out in the world, it might become more complicated, not less. 
    
  They Have a Dark Secret 
  You’ve known your mentor for a long time, and even though she’s always been 
  mysterious, or tends to keep her personal affairs to herself, you never had any 
  reason to think she has an actual secret. But she does - something she wants to 
  keep from the world. Have you discovered her secret already? Is it still waiting to 
  be discovered? How does your relationship change after it’s revealed?   
  • I’m not who I say I am: Yarka the Fabulous Bard was your personal teacher and 
  mentor throughout your childhood, and through her you learned history, 
  
  acrobatics and manners - but you never actually got to see her perform. She 
  talked a lot about how to make friends and influence people, but not even once 
  has she picked up her famed flute to teach you how to play. That is because 
  she’s a tone-deaf rogue who managed to sleaze her way into a comfortable job 
  as a traveling teacher – and rich people simply prefer hiring someone who’s 
  known as a Fabulous Bard.  
  This is a relatively light case of deception; it can get a lot weirder. The head of 
  the magical college is actually a transformed dragon, or an air spirit in disguise. 
  The town’s marshal always wears full armour to cover the birthmark of the One 
  True King, the destiny he’s fleeing. The old granny who watched over the sheep 
  and from which you learned true resolve was in fact part of your own psyche, 
  manifested by your dormant powers.  
  • I have no idea what I’m doing: Master Zingama of the 3rd Wind knows many 
  ancient wisdoms. Only problem is, he invented them all; most while sitting in 
  the bathroom. They’re clever-sounding, but that’s about it – yet he’s still sure 
  he’s doing a good job mentoring you, because the important thing is to teach 
  you discipline. Or something, he’s not actually sure. Somehow, probably thanks 
  to being naturally gifted, you manage to become a monk despite the Master’s 
  “teachings” (or maybe you did find them useful, in your own way?). However, 
  you’re becoming wise and powerful enough to realise your amazing Master 
  isn’t all that amazing. What will you do about it? 
  For another example, consider the mentor who sits at home while sending his 
  ranger protégée out hunting, giving advice (that he thought “sounds 
  reasonable”, or simply read out from a book) on types of monsters and dangers 
  of the environment. In fact, he’s nothing more than an old aristocrat accountant 
  who retired to the swamp lands and just wanted to prove to himself he’s still 
  important, so he convinced one of the local kids to follow his directions.  
  • I have a dark side: Is the mentor just an arrogant, selfish bastard, who’s good 
  at putting on a show as a humble servant of justice, or are they related in some 
  way to the big bad of the campaign? Is she covering a horrible past, that she 
  now regrets (perhaps seeking redemption), or was she originally a lovely 
  person, but some things happened, and she’s turning more and more extreme?  
  At what point in this transition do you become aware of it? Do you still have 
  time to redeem your mentor, or was it too late before you even met? Perhaps 
  you’re the only one who’s always known what they did in their previous life, 
  and you’ve come to accept them and receive their teaching despite of it – but 
  now other people know as well, and demand retribution. 
  They Have a Strange Connection with You 
  Your relationship with your mentor might be a special connection the both of you 
  cherish, or you might be just one student out of a hundred. Perhaps you’ve been 
  living under your mentor as an apprentice or servant, or maybe you just used to 
  meet them once every month for a couple of hours. In any case, there’s something 
  else going on between you two, something that you might not be aware of. 
  • You’re my chosen one: You’re real special to your mentor. Out of the whole 
  class of warriors, he likes you best. The traveling wizard has a protégée in every 
  village, but she’s always looking forward to visiting you. Why? Perhaps they see 
  you as the star student, but perhaps they find you interesting for another 
  reason. Maybe the two of you are among the very few dragonborn in this land, 
  and it’s pleasant to have some time with someone of your race, who gets you. 
  Maybe they’re not actually interested in you, but in fact try to curry favour with 
  your parents or guardians. Or maybe, well, they’ve got a thing for you. Not very 
  professional, but not every mentor is a professional!  
  • You’re my kid: It might be that none of you know it (yet) – your mentor is not 
  hiding anything, they’re just as ignorant as you are on the matter. You were 
  brought together by destiny, circumstances, or the guiding hand of an unknown 
  agent. It might be that your parent simply was also a mentor to you: your grim 
  father might have taught you his fighting style throughout your childhood, with 
  brutal and merciless methods, perhaps treating you more as a soldier than as 
  his daughter.   
  • You’re me: Your mentor is actually you from the future; he/you came back to 
  fix the timeline, after the Time Devourer destroyed your childhood to prevent 
  you from becoming its slayer. You just had to become your own mentor, in 
  order to teach yourself everything you must know. Or maybe your mentor is a 
  manifestation of your powers: you can speak with your reflection, which 
  represent the hidden draconic lineage within you, teaching you how to utilize 
  it better. It might actually be a distant spirit of your past self, who now resides 
  within a house cat and gives you advice from hundreds of reincarnations ago.  
   
  
  They’re Planning Something 
  The main question about your mentor is the same one you should ask about any 
  other background detail: How will this affect my story? What is going to happen 
  with my mentor, what’s their future role in the campaign? The simple answer is 
  “They just taught me what I know when I start adventuring, and that’s it”, but it’s a 
  rather bland one. Here are some others.  
  • It’s related to your campaign: Your mentor is going to play an important part 
  in things to come. They have a crucial piece of knowledge, or a powerful item, 
  or the ear of someone in power, and one day you’ll have to ask them to use  
  their connections to advance your adventure. Perhaps you don’t yet know they 
  have this ability, but it’ll probably be more dramatically satisfying if it’s 
  something well-known about them (even if neither you nor the DM know yet 
  how it’ll come into action!). 
  • It IS your campaign: At some point further down the road, it becomes clear that 
  everything’s going on was initiated and/or accompanied by your mentor. That, 
  of course, includes your initiation under them as well. Is this good news? Are 
  you capable of performing the Song of Heavens to defeat the demon lord, 
  thanks to your mentor being well-prepared? Or is it a bad thing, and now you 
  find yourself facing a mentor who taught you everything you know, and 
  therefore has an intimate knowledge of your limitations and weaknesses? 
  • My time with you has not yet come: But I’ve got so many adventures seeds for 
  you, in the meantime! Perhaps the Master Wizard is preparing the Spell of 
  Storms, and it’s going to take most of the year; in the meantime, he needs you 
  to plant these four seeds at the four corners of the realm. Perhaps the general 
  is busy for a few months while preparing her army for the invasion, and has no 
  use for you now; but when she’s done, she’s going to need a small group of 
  excellent infiltrators to get into the palace and lower the defences.   
  One last thought 
  In a way, your mentor is part of your character’s legacy (or are you their legacy?..). 
  If, one day, your hero dies before his time, your new hero might be a new protégé 
  of the same mentor, keeping the flame alive. Or perhaps, one day your hero will 
  decide to retire, becoming the mentor for your naive new character.  
  New Background: Protégé 
  You have a mentor, in one of the ways described here, or a different way 
  altogether. This mentor was an important part of your life for the longest time, and 
  probably remains so. You probably learned your class abilities from them, and 
  might need to go back to learn new ones. In any case, a huge part of your 
  personality was shaped by your relationship with your mentor.  
  Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Investigation 
  Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools 
  Languages: One of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (of your choice), a personal gift from your 
  mentor, a proof of apprenticeship (a letter signed by your mentor, or the like), a 
  parcel you’ve been asked to hand to someone important, traveller’s clothes, and 
  a pouch containing 15 gp 
  Type of Mentor 
  You should let your choice of class, personality or skill proficiencies determine the 
  things your mentor taught you and the ways in which he or she influenced you. 
  Their demeanour, however, can be left to chance if you are so inclined: 
  d10 
  Personality Trait 
  d10 Personality Trait 
  1 
  Angry 
  6 
  Demanding 
  2 
  Aloof 
  7 
  Spiritual 
  3 
  Calculated 
  8 
  Pedantic 
  4 
  Jealous 
  9 
  Arrogant 
  5 
  Resentful 
  10 
  Parental 
   
  Feature: Call on Your Mentor 
  Your mentor is a person of some importance, who can pull a few strings and talk 
  to the right people. When you present your proof of apprenticeship, doors open 
  to you; people in office will agree to at least hear what you have to say. If you’re 
  using your mentor’s pull too frequently, or in ways that disrespect them, they 
  might politely ask you to stop. Or not so politely, and with a demand for 
  compensation. 
  
  If you’re dealing with someone who has heard of your mentor and respects them 
  (a highly religious person, and your mentor is a known priest; a tribal hunter, and 
  your mentor is a witch doctor), you can easily impress them, but at the same time 
  you set some expectations that might prove to be too high.  
  Additionally, if you present your proof of apprenticeship to a person of your 
  mentor’s profession (mage, when mentored under a spell-caster) or who looks 
  favourably upon them (presenting the luckstone your fairy godmother gave you 
  to a fey), you’re welcomed to a single night’s lodging at their home, including a 
  meal. 
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Growing up under a mentor shaped your outlook in a specific way. Even if you 
  don’t share your mentor’s worldview, you’re at least somewhat inclined to 
  consider it, always hearing in your head your mentor’s remarks. 
  d8 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I find myself using many of my mentor’s phrases. He was right 
  about a lot of things! 
  2 
  People who have no respect for their elders and betters deserve 
  no respect from me.  
  3 
  Many people are just ignorant – I’ll teach them, like I’ve been 
  taught myself. 
  4 
  Every person should learn to take care of themselves; beggars and 
  dilettantes annoy me to no end.  
  5 
  I’m eager to get better at my trade. Every challenge is a learning 
  opportunity! 
  6 
  I’ve got a well-practiced way of doing things – please don’t 
  interrupt me, I know what I’m doing. 
  7 
  I’ve got a story for every occasion, thanks to my somewhat… 
  colourful apprenticeship.  
  8 
  Despite years of effort by my mentor, I still do that one annoying 
  thing. It’s my way of putting a little bit of me into my mentor’s 
  teachings. 
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Mastery. I want to be the very best, like no one ever was. 
  (Lawful)  
  2 
  Education. The lessons I’ve learned should be available to 
  anyone who desires them. (Good) 
  3 
  Freedom. People should be able to choose their own path, 
  advance in their own pace. (Chaotic)  
  4 
  Respect. I want to make my mentor proud of me. (Any) 
  5 
  Revelation. By practicing the well-established methods and 
  traditions, one can achieve true enlightenment. (Lawful) 
  6 
  Curiously. I know so much about one specific subject, now I want 
  to learn completely new things! (Any) 
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  My mentor always speaks of the “lost teachings” of our order. I 
  must find them! 
  2 
  I have a close friend who was taught alongside me, although they 
  learned something a bit different. 
  3 
  The mysterious land of my mentor’s youth sounds magnificent; I 
  will discover it one day. 
  4 
  I owe my mentor everything, I should repay them somehow. 
  5 
  My mentor thinks nothing will ever come of me – I’ll show them! 
  6 
  This is the same shield my master’s master gave him, and he has 
  given it to me. One day I’ll pass it on to my apprentice.  
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  I’m so used to doing things in a specific way, I usually don’t stop to 
  think of an alternative. 
  2 
  When I see someone doing something wrong, I can barely keep 
  myself from correcting them. 
  3 
  Asking for help is a sign of weakness. 
  4 
  Greater challenges lead to greater advancement; however, 
  sometime I bite off more than I can chew. 
  5 
  It’s better to lie than to admit failure. 
  6 
  I’m very good at keeping secrets. I keep everything to myself.  
  
   
   
   
   
    
   
  Three Suggestions for Interesting Mentors is by Eran Aviram. Eran is the writer for Up to Four Players; the Lead Hebrew Translator for D&D and other 
  games; Editor for City of Mist; produces the weekly podcast On the Shoulders of Dwarves, the main RPG podcast in Hebrew; and used to own a gaming store, 
  it was awesome. 
  Up to Four Players is a webcomic about tabletop gamers and games, by Aviv Or and Eran Aviram. Check it out: www.uptofourplayers.com 
  Art of a very unusual mentor: Aviv Or, avivor@gmail.com 
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