Dungeons & Dragons 5e Background: Poisoner
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Poisoner
Poisoners work at the highest levels of society, in the employ of lords, queens, or emperors. Civilized societies do not practice such barbarism as public executions - but there is still a need to remove those who would harm society. Poisoners are intelligent and sly. They may preside over formal executions in dungeons deep beneath the city, binding their victims and administering toxins directly into the blood. Alternatively they may be the dirty secret of the court, brewing noxious concoctions that can be slipped into a drink or a meal without anybody suspecting a thing.
Rather than proficiency in Athletics, you have instead spent time studying Medicine. Replace carpenter’s or smith’s tools with poisoner’s tools, and start with a poisoner’s kit rather than the hood or mask. Your credentials and documentation may not explicitly state your role, though they should make it clear that you are a person of status.
If your position in court is a secret, you may choose the Poisoner’s Nose feature.
Features
Poisoner’s Nose
You have poisoned hundreds of people in hundreds of different ways. You know the tricks of the trade - distraction techniques, foods and drinks that are particularly good at masking unusual scents, and the like. It is impossible for somebody to slip you poison in a meal or drink without you noticing it, assuming you are conscious and able to observe your immediate environment.Suggested Characteristics
Some executioners go about their business efficiently, without passion or regret. Others revel in it, delighting in the opportunity to commit such savagery in public without being condemned to the same fate. Still authors are haunted by their actions, wracked with guilt over the lives they have taken. Whatever their view on the acts they undertake, all executioners have a strong stomach. They have made death their life’s work, and are not phased by the sight of blood and butchery.
Traits
| 1d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. I am unaffected by the sight of death, and remain calm when things get bloody. |
| 2 | I have heard every excuse and every plea for mercy. Once my course is set, I am unmoved by appeals to my emotions. |
| 3 | I joke when faced with death and violence. The worse things get, the darker my humour becomes. |
| 4 | I am haunted by the faces of those I have executed. I pray they will forgive me when we meet again. |
| 5 | I pity the poor and the desperate, because they are more likely to find themselves on the wrong side of me than those with money and power. |
| 6 | I feel no regret over the job I do. Criminals know the price they may pay when they turn to crime, and they should be prepared to face the consequences of their actions. |
| 7 | I fear nobody, regardless of their power or station. Power does not protect you from death. |
| 8 | I thrive on the fear that my name instills in people. |
Ideal
| 1d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fairness. No one should get preferential treatment before the law, and no one is above the law. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Sincerity. There’s no point pretending to be something I’m not. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Greed. I’m only in it for the money and the fame. (Evil) |
| 4 | Independence. I am the hand of the law, and I am not bound by its shackles. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | People. I am loyal to people, not ideals. Following ideals leads people down a road that ends with me.(Neutral) |
| 6 | Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any) |
Bond
| 1d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My work has driven me to drink. If I visit an inn or a tavern, I will drink until I black out. |
| 2 | I was sentenced to death, but fled rather than face the end I have meted out to so many other people. |
| 3 | I executed a relative of somebody very powerful who now wants to see me dead in return. |
| 4 | I have repeated visions of the death of somebody I have never met, though I know I am destined to find them. |
| 5 | I enjoy killing a little too much, and I adventure because my work no longer fulfills my needs. |
| 6 | I have a warrant for the execution of someone notorious. Now all I need to do is locate them. |
Flaw
| 1d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I use the influence of my station as a means to get what I want. |
| 2 | I have a shameful secret that means I can never return home. |
| 3 | I assume that the people who do not fear me do not respect me, and I am quick to take offense from them. |
| 4 | I remember every insult I have ever received and long for the day that I will be able to deliver justice to those people. |
| 5 | I believe that people make their own fate, and am unlikely to step in to help somebody who has made a mistake. |
| 6 | Violence is my answer to most challenges. |
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