Those holed up in Last Hope come from all walks of life, and as such have a wealth of experiences to draw on (or resources to harbour). Characters may select up to 2 Backgrounds from which to purchase additional skills.

It's up to you what these backgrounds represent for your character. For instance, you may have Divine Favour because of your time spent serving in the Temple of the Divine on the weekends, or perhaps you received a strange tattoo while travelling that seems to bestow Divine power to you regardless of your faith.

You are proficient with the weapon you choose and gain the following ability from wielding it.

• Shortsword - gain 1 RESIST against an effect that strikes your sword
• Longsword - gain 2 uses of DOUBLE per encounter
• Rapier - gain 2 PARRY per encounter
• Club / Mace - gain 2 STRIKEDOWN per encounter
• Daggers - gain 1 BREAK per encounter
• Greatsword - gain 1 QUAD per encounter
• Staff - gain 1 PUSH per encounter
• Shield - gain 1 RESIST against an effect that strikes your shield (you may combine this with a 1-handed proficiency)
• Flail - gain 1 PULL per encounter

You may change weapon for Proficiency between Adventures.

You may wield a weapon in either hand and gain the Proficiency effect for both of them.

Gain +2 maximum hit points.

You carry an aura of protection from the Divine. Pick a call to gain 3 RESIST to per encounter:

• LEECH
• MESMERISE
• MAUL
• CURSE

Once per adventure you may beseech the Divine for aid. The GM will provide a minor boon based on your request that affects the world rather than the encounter (e.g. bringing rainfall to help crops grow, cleaning a defiled holy site, etc).

When you resist the call granted by your Divine Aura you may call a ranged TRIPLE back at the target that attempted to affect you.

Pick an potion from the Alchemist class up to your level in your own class. For three encounters per adventure you may act as if you have that potion available to you.

(Downtime Ability)

When presented with something an Alchemist has created, you may fiddle with it to minorly change the purpose or function of it. You cannot sabotage something a fully fledged Alchemist has created, but you can modify it a bit.

(Downtime Ability)

When given an Alchemical solution of some sort, you may during Downtime attempt to work out how it's made (and in doing so give yourself the ability to carry one such potion per adventure.

(Knowledge Ability)

Pick a topic to be knowledgeable about (that it is feasible to be able to become learned on). You can generally ask the GM for information about that topic that is relevant (e.g. weather, types of mushroom, architecture).

(Downtime Ability)

You may write up your findings from an Adventure in order to bolster what is generally known about what is found in the Desolation. Adventures will inherently increase the global knowledge of the Desolation, but publishing your findings will allow you to add to that pool directly (and with your own twist, if you so desire).

Once per encounter you may call RESIST to MESMERISE provided you loudly explain that you know what the creature in question is trying to do to you.