Age of Terror: Diablo Backgrounds

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The world of Sanctuary is home to a wide variety of cultures, each with their own heroes, but its residents are all humans. When creating a character for Age of Terror, you do not use the normal Race and Background options from Fantasy Age. Instead, each character chooses a single background that represents their character’s culture and training.

Each of these backgrounds is structured similarly to the race options from Fantasy Age. They give a set of fixed benefits to characters as well as having a table of random additional benefits. These backgrounds do give one additional ability focus compared to the Fantasy Age races in order to compensate for characters not also getting a focus from their background option.

Because all characters are humans, they all have a Speed equal to 10 + Dexterity (minus armor penalty if applicable).

Sister of the Sightless Eye

The Sisters of the Sightless Eye are members of a loosely organized guild of mysterious archers that guard the borderlands between Khanduras and the East. They study the ancient Eastern philosophies in order to develop an inner-sight that they use both in combat and to better perceive their surroundings. The growing darkness throughout the West has drawn the attention of many of the sisters who seek to test their skills against the dark evils emerging from beneath Tristram.

Playing a Sister of the Sightless Eye

If you choose to play as a Sister of the Sightless Eye, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Perception ability. The inner-sight developed by the sisterhood makes them especially aware of their surroundings.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Accuracy (Bows) or Dexterity (Initiative).
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Communication (Bargaining) or Perception (Tracking).
• You can speak and read the Western Tongue and Kehjistani.
• You are most likely a woman. The sisterhood does not normally admit men.
• Take the Rogue class.
• Roll twice on the following table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

2d6 Roll	Benefit
2	+1 Accuracy
3-4	Focus: Communication (Disguise)
5	Focus: Intelligence (Cryptography)
6	Focus: Perception (Searching)
7-8	+1 Dexterity
9	Focus: Dexterity (Stealth)
10-11	Focus: Dexterity (Traps)
12	+1 Willpower

Soldier of Khanduras

As madness consumed King Leoric, he sent the armies of Khanduras to war against the neighboring kingdom of Westmarch. Outnumbered and lacking the full support of Khanduras, many of the sldiers sent to the war were lost in bloody battles. Those who survived were left to fend for themselves on the long journey home. Upon their return, they found Khanduras in shattered disarray with King Leoric dead and young Prince Albrecht missing.

Playing a Soldier of Khanduras

If you choose to play as a soldier of Khanduras, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Constitution ability. Only the toughest soldiers have survived the disastrous war against Westmarch and the long journey home after being abandoned by King Leoric.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Strength (Intimidation) or Willpower (Courage).
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Constitution (Stamina) or Dexterity (Riding).
• You can speak and read the Western Tongue.
• Choose a class. You can play either a Rogue or Warrior.
• Roll twice on the following table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

2d6 Roll	Benefit
2	+1 Strength
3-4	Focus: Communication (Leadership)
5	Focus: Intelligence (Military Lore)
6	Weapon Group: Heavy Blades*
7-8	+1 Fighting
9	Focus: Strength (Smithing)
10-11	Focus: Willpower (Faith)
12	+1 Willpower

*: If the class you choose provides this already, you can take the focus Fighting (Heavy Blades) instead.

Vizjerei Sorcerer

The Vizjerei are one of the oldest and most powerful mage-clans of the East. The clan’s elders have sensed a dark evil growing in the West and have sent many of the clan’s acolytes to observe the dark events and fight against the demons and undead roaming the land.

Playing a Vizjerei Sorcerer

If you choose to play as a sorcerer from teh Vizjerei mage-clan, modify your character as follows:

• Add 1 to your Willpower ability. The Vizjerei mage-clan ensures its acolytes can resist the dark influences of the Burning Hells.
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Intelligence (Arcane Lore) or Intelligence (Religious Lore).
• Pick one of the following ability focuses: Intelligence (Healing) or Intelligence (Research).
• You can speark and read Kehjistani as well as two of the following languages: Barbarian Tongue, Druidic, Umbaru, Western Tongue, or Xiansaian.
• Take the Mage class. You may learn and cast spells from the Cold, Enchantment, Fire, Healing, Lightning, Power, and Protection arcanas.
• Roll twice on the following table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

2d6 Roll	Benefit
2	+1 Perception
3-4	Focus: Intelligence (Historical Lore)
5	Focus: Accuracy (Staves)
6	Focus: Willpower (Self-Discipline)
7-8	+1 Intelligence
9	Focus: Intelligence (Cultural Lore)
10-11	Focus: Willpower (Faith)
12	+1 Constitution