Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Insight, Investigation
- Tool: Calligrapher's Supplies
- Feat: Skilled
Description
You have a keen eye for detail and a mind trained to uncover hidden truths. Years of studying documents, evidence, or behavior have honed your ability to read between the lines and discern motives. Your careful observations often reveal what others overlook, and your steady hand ensures your records are precise and clear, earning you respect among scholars and officials alike.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Calligrapher's Supplies, Ink, Ink Pen, Parchment, Traveler's Clothes, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Records and secrets
- Family: Scholarly
- Primary pillar: Intrigue
- Secondary pillar: Social
- Themes: document analysis, hidden motives, detailed observation, record keeping, evidence gathering
What this background is good for
Choose Examiner if you want a character who turns document analysis, hidden motives, detailed observation, record keeping, and evidence gathering into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Insight and Investigation, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Scholarly background, it gives the character a clear place in the world instead of just a mechanical bonus. The Skilled feat, Calligrapher's Supplies, and Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Truth Seeker rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around document analysis, hidden motives, detailed observation, record keeping, and evidence gathering.
- You are considering Rogue, Wizard, Bard, and Cleric and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
Your sharp mind and steady hand uncover hidden truths that others fail to see in complex social and political webs.
Table cues
- Identify inconsistencies in testimonies or documents.
- Notice subtle body language revealing hidden motives.
- Track who benefits from concealed information.
- Use calligrapher’s tools to forge or verify documents.
- Spot overlooked details in crowded or chaotic scenes.
For Dungeon Masters
Use Examiner when the campaign benefits from scenes about document analysis, hidden motives, detailed observation, record keeping, and evidence gathering. The Scholarly angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Insight, Investigation, and Calligrapher's Supplies can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: identify inconsistencies in testimonies or documents.