Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Acrobatics, Perception
- Tool: Navigator's Tools
- Feat: Alert
Description
You are accustomed to reading the skies and seas, navigating by subtle signs few notice. Your keen senses and quick reflexes keep you alert to danger, while your charm aids in gathering information and forging alliances. Skilled in movement and observation, you thrive where others falter, guiding companions safely through uncertain paths and shifting winds.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Navigator's Tools, a waterskin, a bedroll, a lantern, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Scout and early warning
- Family: Maritime
- Primary pillar: Exploration
- Secondary pillar: Combat
- Themes: navigation challenges, sea storms, crew camaraderie, hidden coves, smuggler routes
What this background is good for
Choose Windward if you want a character who turns navigation challenges, sea storms, crew camaraderie, hidden coves, and smuggler routes into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Acrobatics and Perception, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Maritime 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, Wisdom, and Charisma abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Skyward Navigator rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around navigation challenges, sea storms, crew camaraderie, hidden coves, and smuggler routes.
- You are considering Rogue, Ranger, Bard, and Fighter and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You read the skies and seas like a book, guiding your allies through shifting winds and unseen dangers.
Table cues
- Track weather changes affecting travel routes
- Identify hidden smuggling drop points
- Observe crew tensions during storms
- Notice changes in local harbor politics
For Dungeon Masters
Use Windward when the campaign benefits from scenes about navigation challenges, sea storms, crew camaraderie, hidden coves, and smuggler routes. The Maritime angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Acrobatics, Perception, and Navigator's Tools can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: track weather changes affecting travel routes.