Details
- Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Insight, Persuasion
- Tool: Calligrapher's Supplies
- Feat: Alert
Description
You serve as a respected mediator and judge, skilled in reading people and situations to resolve conflicts before they escalate. Your keen awareness and commanding presence allow you to maintain order and fairness in tense moments. Often called upon to settle disputes, you carry yourself with confidence and a sharp mind, ready to act swiftly and decisively when tensions flare.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Calligrapher's Supplies, a fine set of traveler’s clothes, a small notebook, ink and ink pen, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Scout and early warning
- Family: Courtly
- Primary pillar: Social
- Secondary pillar: Exploration
- Themes: conflict resolution, legal disputes, social influence, public order, mediation rituals
What this background is good for
Choose Arbiter if you want a character who turns conflict resolution, legal disputes, social influence, public order, and mediation rituals into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Insight and Persuasion, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Courtly background, it gives the character a clear place in the world instead of just a mechanical bonus. The Alert feat, Calligrapher's Supplies, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Impartial Judge rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around conflict resolution, legal disputes, social influence, public order, and mediation rituals.
- You are considering Paladin, Bard, Cleric, and Wizard and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You command respect as a mediator who prevents violence by resolving disputes with keen insight and swift judgment.
Table cues
- Identify who benefits from the conflict’s outcome
- Observe subtle body language for hidden motives
- Note who tries to control the conversation
- Track shifting alliances during negotiations
- Watch for signs of escalating tension
For Dungeon Masters
Use Arbiter when the campaign benefits from scenes about conflict resolution, legal disputes, social influence, public order, and mediation rituals. The Courtly angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Insight, Persuasion, and Calligrapher's Supplies can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: identify who benefits from the conflict’s outcome.