Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom
- Skills: Animal Handling, Survival
- Tool: Herbalism Kit
- Feat: Healer
Description
You have spent much of your life wandering the wilds, gathering herbs, roots, and other natural provisions to sustain yourself and others. Skilled at reading animal behavior and tracking signs in the wilderness, you are quick to notice subtle changes around you. Your knowledge of healing plants and natural remedies allows you to tend to wounds and ailments with care and precision.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) a Herbalism Kit, a Traveler's Clothes, a Bedroll, a Waterskin, 5 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Support and recovery
- Family: Wilderness
- Primary pillar: Downtime
- Secondary pillar: Exploration
- Themes: herbal gathering, animal tracking, natural remedies, survival skills, wildlife observation
What this background is good for
Choose Forager if you want a character who turns herbal gathering, animal tracking, natural remedies, survival skills, and wildlife observation into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Animal Handling and Survival, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Wilderness background, it gives the character a clear place in the world instead of just a mechanical bonus. The Healer feat, Herbalism Kit, and Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Wilderness Medic rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around herbal gathering, animal tracking, natural remedies, survival skills, and wildlife observation.
- You are considering Ranger, Druid, Cleric, and Barbarian and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You survive by reading the land, tracking animals, and gathering healing plants in untamed wilds.
Table cues
- Track signs of recent animal activity nearby.
- Identify local plants with healing or poisonous properties.
- Notice changes in weather or terrain affecting travel.
- Observe NPCs’ attitudes toward wilderness knowledge.
- Spot hidden resources or dangers in natural surroundings.
For Dungeon Masters
Use Forager when the campaign benefits from scenes about herbal gathering, animal tracking, natural remedies, survival skills, and wildlife observation. The Wilderness angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Animal Handling, Survival, and Herbalism Kit can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: track signs of recent animal activity nearby.