TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
  EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
   
  writing Walt Ciechanowski
   color art Peter Woods
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  S
  ome adventurerS 
   have backstories 
   or callings that 
  are directly related to 
  the world below. The 
  following are three such 
  backgrounds: the Deep 
  Hunter, Escapee from 
  Below, and Imposter. 
  Deep Hunter
  You are skilled at hunting and tracking 
  big game in cavernous and underground 
  environments. You have spent much of 
  your training isolated and alone in the 
  dark, honing all of your senses to note 
  the slightest sound or feel the slightest 
  impression in the loose rock and sand. 
  You are relentless in your pursuit, for 
  you know that your quarry will not be as 
  forgiving as you.
  Dungeon
  Callings
  Backgrounds from Beneath the Earth
  
  Dungeon Callings | EN World EN5IDER
  Dungeon Callings | EN World EN5IDER
   You may be a guardian of your community 
  against the dangers in the rock or you may simply 
  hunt for sport. You might even hire yourself as a 
  guide for bored nobles or merchants who crave a 
  bit of excitement hunting the peculiar and exotic 
  monsters found underground. In any case, you 
  are happiest outside of civilization, exploring the 
  depths for new challenges.
   Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
   Tool Proficiencies: Smith’s tools, woodcarver’s 
  tools
   Equipment: Bullseye lantern, hammer, shovel, 
  50 feet of hemp rope, 10 iron spikes, mess kit, 
  traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp.
  Feature: Deep Lore
  You’ve spent so much time in the “wilderness” 
  areas underground that you have a natural feel 
  for it. You always have a sense of how deep you 
  are and which direction is north, providing that 
  you’ve traveled in these regions before. You are 
  also generally aware of the physical and political 
  geography of the region (e.g., “the old dwarf 
  colony is this way and those tunnels are part of 
  the wererat pack’s hunting grounds”). You know 
  where relatively safe places to camp are located 
  and you can usually find fresh sources of water. 
  Suggested Characteristics
  Deep Hunters tend to be loners, preferring to 
  scout ahead rather than remain with their party. 
  This isn’t necessarily because they are anti-social, 
  just that they prefer no distractions when looking 
  out for dangerous threats. Deep Hunters do tend 
  to enjoy hearing tales of home or the surface 
  world in general, as they spend so much time in 
  the deep that they want to know what’s happened 
  while they’ve been gone.
  Open Game Content
  The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All of the other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
  text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing 
  product and article titles, and EN World and EN Publishing logos, are designated Product Identity.
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  EN
  Publishing
  Publishing
  ™
  d8 Personality Trait
  1
  I never go on a hunt without careful preparation and 
  all the equipment I need.
  2
  I enjoy teaching others how to hunt.
  3
  I revel in the solitude of being alone; it is difficult for 
  me to engage with or open up to others.
  4
  The chase is more fun than the kill.
  5
  I never let anything go to waste, whether it be ration-
  ing provisions or using every part of the kill.
  6
  I am frightened of being trapped—there must always 
  be an exit available if things go wrong.
  7
  I am the protector of my band. It’s a personal insult if 
  something surprises and threatens the group.
  8
  I have an entertaining story for every scar on my body.
  d6 Ideal
  1
  Fame. I want to be recognized for how well I hunt. 
  (Any)
  2
  Guardian. I use my skills to protect others. (Good)
  3
  Improvement. I always strive to be better to make my 
  efforts more bountiful. (Any)
  4
  Nature. Hunting preserves the balance. (Neutral)
  5
  Self-Reliance. You shouldn’t need to rely on others to 
  feed, clothe, shelter, and protect you. (Chaotic)
  6
  Strength. The strong will always prevail over the 
  weak. (Evil)
  d6 Bond
  1
  I wish to capture or kill one particular creature who 
  constantly evades me.
  2
  I will do anything to protect those who put their life in 
  my hands.
  3
  I wish to keep an area free of dangerous creatures.
  4
  I owe my life to another hunter. I will do anything to 
  repay that debt.
  5
  A monster got away with a trinket or relic that is im-
  portant to me or a friend; I must find it.
  6
  Another hunter took credit for my kill; I must avenge 
  the insult.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
  EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
  d6 Flaw
  1
  I have little tolerance for those who can’t survive on 
  their own.
  2
  I am obsessed with the hunt; once I’ve set my sights 
  on a monster I’ll stop at nothing to catch or kill it.
  3
  I need to be the best hunter in the group.
  4
  I exaggerate my own skills and constantly fear that I’ll 
  be discovered a fraud.
  5
  I once claimed a kill that was not mine and I’ll do 
  anything to protect that secret.
  6
  I know what we need to do to survive and am quick to 
  dismiss contrary ideas.
  Escapee from Below
  You’ve spent a long time in underground captivity 
  before you were able to escape to the surface. 
  Whether you were born into captivity, were 
  captured as a small child, or simply spent many 
  years in captivity, you have grown accustomed to 
  ways that aren’t your own. You are now a stranger 
  to your own people, having little comprehension 
  of their social mores and replacing them with 
  those you learned while underground. 
   One unfortunate side-effect of this background 
  is that your peers tend to see you as insane, or at 
  least less-than-fully in control of your faculties. As 
  much as you don’t understand them, they simply 
  don’t understand you; you don’t wake and sleep 
  with the sun, you eat strange foods, your sense 
  of value is different (minerals rare to them are 
  common to you and vice versa), and you often 
  use words and phrases that they’ve never heard.
   Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Survival
   Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools
   Languages: One exotic language of your choice
   Equipment: A set of thieves’ tools, a ragged set 
  of traveling clothes, a club or dagger, a memento 
  from your captivity, a pouch containing 10 gp of 
  exotic minting.
  Feature: Alien Culture
  Your long period of captivity has given you an 
  incredible insight into the culture that held you. 
  You understand their customs, traditions, religion, 
  political ties, and even, to an extent, how they 
  think. You are considered a walking expert in 
  this culture and can usually find or remember 
  something useful for you or your group when 
  faced with a challenge involving this culture.
  Suggested Characteristics
  Escapees from Below have problems trusting 
  others, especially since the only people they could 
  rely on were themselves; everyone else was out to 
  harm them. Escapees often seem insane because 
  they tend to approach situations from an alien 
  mind-set and the hard lessons learned during 
  their escape. Still, if an Escapee makes a friend 
  then it is for life and the Escapee is fanatically 
  loyal to them.
  d8 Personality Trait
  1
  I am intensely curious about the ways of others.
  2
  I constantly use words and expressions from my 
  exotic language.
  3
  I am akin to a child when it comes to social interac-
  tions.
  4
  I burst into tears whenever confronted with a custom 
  or tradition that I should know but don’t.
  5
  I find myself gravitating towards and sympathetic of 
  other outsiders to my home culture.
  6
  I don’t like to talk about my experiences underground.
  7
  I try too hard sometimes to make friends.
  8
  I see danger in every shadow and around every 
  corner.
  d6 Ideal
  1
  Belonging. I want nothing more than to feel like a 
  part of the world above. (Lawful)
  2
  Charity. If I am fortunate enough to have more than I 
  need then I will gladly share with others. (Good)
  3
  Faith. My hard life was a test; I shall not be found lack-
  ing. (Lawful)
  4
  Friendship. I know the value of true friendship; it can 
  mean the difference between life and death. (Good)
  5
  Liberty. I persevered for so long to ensure that no one 
  will control me again. (Chaotic)
  6
  Wealth. I have survived too long with nothing; it’s 
  time that I lived a life of luxury. (Evil)
  
  Dungeon Callings | EN World EN5IDER
  Dungeon Callings | EN World EN5IDER
  d6 Bond
  1
  There was one friend who helped me escape the deep 
  below but we got separated; I must find them again.
  2
  I will protect my new home at all costs.
  3
  There are things I miss about the culture that I 
  escaped from and I’ll gladly indulge in their customs 
  when the opportunity presents itself.
  4
  I lost something very valuable to me when I escaped 
  and I want to get it back.
  5
  I am extremely loyal to my friends.
  6
  I want revenge on the culture that enslaved me.
  d6 Flaw
  1
  I tolerate no sympathy towards members of the cul-
  ture that enslaved me; they all deserve death.
  2
  I can’t allow myself to get too close to anyone; they’ll 
  all betray me in the end.
  3
  I am suspicious of “gifts.” Everyone wants something 
  in return.
  4
  I can’t let go of some of the more unsavory aspects of 
  the culture that enslaved me.
  5
  I’m brutally honest to a fault; I have no social graces.
  6
  I act like a caged animal whenever I stay in one place 
  for too long.
  Imposter
  You’ve returned to the surface after a long period 
  of captivity and were welcomed with open arms 
  by your friends and family in spite of your scars 
  and aged appearance. You’ve been allowed to pick 
  up the pieces of your life that you were forced 
  to leave behind and re-establish old connections. 
  The only problem is that it’s not your life to which 
  you’ve returned—you are an imposter.
   During your time beneath the earth you’d 
  met another person with your same general 
  appearance. Whether you adopted their identity 
  with their dying blessing or seized an opportunity 
  for a better life for yourself you now hold yourself 
  out as that person, mimicking their mannerisms 
  and using the stories they told you to convince 
  others that these are your memories. Any physical 
  differences or lapses in memory are dismissed as 
  peculiarities of the hard captivity you’ve endured.
   Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Persuasion
   Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit
   Languages: One of your choice
   Equipment: Clothes appropriate to the new life, 
  a valued trinket from the impersonated, a journal 
  with encrypted notes about the impersonated’s 
  life, a disguise kit, and 15 gp.
  Adopted Identity
  Regardless of the circumstances of your birth and 
  the previous life you’ve led, you now pretend to 
  live a different life. You don’t necessarily have 
  the qualifications of this new identity (although 
  coincidental qualifications are often a deciding 
  factor), but you fake it as best you can. Choose an 
  adopted identity or randomly determine one on 
  the following table.
  d8 Adopted Identity
  1
  Scion of a prominent family
  2
  A valued teacher
  3
  A noted warrior
  4
  Wealthy merchant 
  5 
  Country squire
  6
  A lost pirate captain
  7
  A simple farmer or commoner
  8 
  A temple scholar
  Feature: Unexpected Assistance
  While you struggle to maintain the masquerade 
  that you are who you say, there are a surprising 
  number of people who are more than willing 
  to help you through your lapses of memory 
  or expertise as they truly want to believe that 
  you are who you say. So long as you don’t act 
  completely out of character or get caught in an 
  outrageous lie, you can usually find someone 
  willing to cover for you. This cover is most 
  commonly in the form of excuses for your 
  “aberrant” behavior.
  Suggested Characteristics
  Imposters have two personalities: their true 
  personality and the one that they’ve adopted. 
  At first, it is often difficult for the Imposter to 
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
  EN World EN5IDER | Dungeon Callings
  play the role expected of them, but as time goes 
  on the Imposter plays the new role so often that 
  it starts to become part of their true personality. 
  An Imposter is very cautious about whom they 
  choose as friends, and they only share their secret 
  with those they can completely trust.
  d8 Personality Trait
  1
  I tend to keep my mouth shut for fear of revealing 
  myself.
  2
  I often drown others with my friendliness because I 
  believe that is what the original would have done.
  3
  I enjoy exploring new things, as it gives me a clean 
  slate to imprint myself.
  4
  I’m constantly simmering due to the pressure I have 
  to remain civil to “relations” I can’t stand.
  5
  My speech and manners are often contrary to what 
  would be expected of someone of my station.
  6
  If you threaten my masquerade then I will remove 
  you.
  7
  I spend money freely as if I’m unaware of the costs to 
  acquire it.
  8
  I am friendly but probing, trying to determine threats 
  to my masquerade.
  d6 Ideal
  1
  Family. The person whose life I adopted begged me 
  to fill the hole in their family. (Lawful)
  2
  Happiness. I hope to find true happiness through the 
  life of another. (Chaotic)
  3
  Power. I never had the kind of authority that this new 
  life grants me; I shall wield it wisely. (Lawful)
  4
  Reparations. The person whose life I adopted made 
  mistakes that they want me to rectify in their place. 
  (Neutral)
  5
  Vengeance. The person whose life I adopted wronged 
  me. I shall make their friends and family pay from 
  within. (Evil)
  6
  Wealth. This adopted life gives me the lifestyle that 
  I’ve envied. (Evil)
  d6 Bond
  1
  I value new friends; they don’t threaten to expose me.
  2
  I will guard my new identity with my life.
  3
  I treat my impersonated’s family as if they were my 
  own.
  4
  There is a personal event that I am obligated to per-
  form; I do not wish to go through with it, but everyone 
  expects me to perform it.
  5
  There is one family member or friend who constantly 
  challenges my adopted identity.
  6
  I am doing my best to win over a pet that was once 
  close to the person whose life I adopted.
  d6 Flaw
  1
  There is one thing about the person whose life I ad-
  opted that I cannot emulate; I do everything I can to 
  work around it.
  2
  I’m unaware of a crime that the person whose life I 
  adopted committed; it will surely come to haunt me.
  3
  There is someone who knows the truth; I will stop at 
  nothing to silence them.
  4
  I’ve been reckless with my impersonation; it will lead 
  not only to my ruin, but also those who believe my 
  masquerade.
  5
  I have a habit that I must indulge in, even though the 
  person whose life I adopted did not.
  6
  I wish to pursue a romantic interest that threatens to 
  collapse the house of cards that I’ve built.
   
  e
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 141 - Dungeon Callings.pdf