Reincarnated Background (5e)

You died.

The druid brought you back. You are now something else.

The druid won't say why they did it, or what they want in return. They left a token behind. You tried throwing it away, but it always returned the next day.

"You are free to continue your mortal life", they told you. Druids always lie.

Note that choosing this background does not mean you have to roll on a reincarnation table for your former or current race. Two tables are provided below, the standard table, and a spicy table. Consult your GM about which to use if you decide to roll.

Proficiencies and Equipment

As another background (choose or roll), plus one of the following trinkets left to you by the druid.

Trinket

1. pendant carved from oak, stylised weeping eye
2. tiny smooth riverstone knife, grip shaped for no human hand
3. owl skull, glimmer of starlight in its orbits
4. hybrid flower, dried/pressed between two sheets of giants' fingernail
5. wax anticandle, grows taller and sheds darkness when burned
6. fairy-chess piece, imparts intuitive sense of its legal movement to all who touch it

Feature: Agent of The Druid

You understand Druidic, but cannot speak it.

The druid reincarnated you for a reason they chose not to share with you at this time. They exist as a patron who may offer additional favours or call in their debt.

You are also notable within druid circles, apart from the most remote or isolationist ones. Revealing your benefactor's sigil may open certain doors, but it may also attract unwanted attention.

Ideals, Bonds, Flaws

Use another background's tables for these. Your reincarnation has not changed these.

How You Feel About Your Reincarnation

1. Ill-fitted. Phantom limbs, itching sensations, clumsiness with your new proportions.
2. Alienation. Accepted neither by your old race or your new one.
3. Gratitude. The possibility of redressing past regrettable actions.
4. Freedom. To live a new life unshackled by your old reputation and actions.
5. Fish out of water. People react to your new identity, affording different privileges, trust, or fear.
6. Absolutely nothing. The mortal body is false and transitory, the spirit is the true reality. So nothing's really changed, right?
7. Relief.. You were dragged out of Hell. You probably fear returning.
8. Grief. You were dragged out of Heaven. You probably hate the druid's guts.

Standard Reincarnation Table

d100	Race
01-04	Dragonborn
05-13	Dwarf, hill
14-21	Dwarf, mountain
22-25	Elf, dark
26-34	Elf, high
35-42	Elf, wood
43-46	Gnome, forest
47-52	Gnome, rock
53-56	Half-elf
57-60	Half-orc
61-68	Halfling, lightfoot
69-76	Halfling, stout
77-96	Human
97-00	Tiefling

For the following, spicier table, roll a d6 twice (i.e. d36) for uniform odds, or d100 for odds closer to a typical fantasy setting.

Note that a GM who prefers a less kitchen-sink setting should curate their own table, or let player rolls on this table determine which intelligent nonhumans exist or are predominant within the setting.

Spicy Reincarnation Table

d36	d100	Race
1-1	00-01	Aasimar
1-2	02-03	Aranea
1-3	04	Azer
1-4	05-06	Crabfolk
1-5	07	Dragon (wyrmling, random colour1)
1-6	08-10	Dragonborn
2-1	11-16	Dwarf
2-2	17-21	Elf
2-3	22-24	Fir Bolg
2-4	25	Flumph
2-5	26	Garuda
2-6	27-31	Gnoll
3-1	32-35	Gnome
3-2	36-43	Goblin
3-3	44	Golem (clay)
3-4	45	Gwyllion
3-5	46-53	Halfling
3-6	54-55	Houri
4-1	56-65	Human
4-2	66-67	Jinn
4-3	68	Kappa
4-4	69	Kitsune
4-5	70-73	Kobold
4-6	74-76	Lizardfolk
5-1	77	Maenad
5-2	78	Mantisman
5-3	79-80	Merfolk
5-4	81	Naiad
5-5	82	Nāga
5-6	83-88	Orc
6-1	89	Sahuagin
6-2	90-91	Selkie
6-3	92-93	Slugfolk
6-4	94	Tanuki
6-5	95-98	Tiefling
6-6	99	Yakfolk

¹Roll d10 and read across: black, blue, brass, bronze, copper, gold, green, red, silver, white