Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Investigation, Perception
- Tool: Navigator's Tools
- Feat: Alert
Description
You are skilled in reading the lay of the land, able to spot subtle details others miss and stay alert to shifting dangers. Years of tracking terrain and charting courses have honed your mind and senses, making you a reliable guide through unknown regions. Your keen observation and steady hand help you navigate both wilderness and urban sprawl with precision and care.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Navigator's Tools, a map or scroll, a hooded lantern, a traveler’s clothes, a sack, 8 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Scout and early warning
- Family: Travel
- Primary pillar: Exploration
- Secondary pillar: Intrigue
- Themes: navigation challenges, hidden landmarks, terrain hazards, route planning, map making
What this background is good for
Choose Surveyor if you want a character who turns navigation challenges, hidden landmarks, terrain hazards, route planning, and map making into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Investigation and Perception, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Travel background, it gives the character a clear place in the world instead of just a mechanical bonus. The Alert feat, Navigator's Tools, and Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Steadfast Pathfinder rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around navigation challenges, hidden landmarks, terrain hazards, route planning, and map making.
- You are considering Ranger, Rogue, Wizard, and Cleric and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You read landscapes like a book, guiding others safely through uncharted or dangerous territories with keen observation.
Table cues
- Highlight subtle terrain features on maps.
- Note who trusts or doubts the surveyor’s guidance.
- Use environmental hazards to challenge the party.
- Track shifting landmarks or weather effects.
- Introduce rival navigators or map thieves.
For Dungeon Masters
Use Surveyor when the campaign benefits from scenes about navigation challenges, hidden landmarks, terrain hazards, route planning, and map making. The Travel angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Investigation, Perception, and Navigator's Tools can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: highlight subtle terrain features on maps.