Introduction
Background is the part of PF2e character creation that does several jobs at once. It explains what your character did before the campaign, gives the sheet a little math, trains a useful skill, adds a narrow Lore specialty, and hands you a first skill feat.
Use this alongside the beginner hub, character creation, starter classes, starter ancestries, skills, Lore, skill feats, and GM session zero.
How Backgrounds Work
At 1st level, a standard background usually gives four things.
| Background piece | What it does | Beginner advice |
|---|---|---|
| Attribute boosts | Usually one boost from two listed attributes, plus one free boost | Make one boost support your class or your most common skill plan |
| Trained skill | A broad skill such as Medicine, Society, Survival, Thievery, Religion, or Occultism | Pick a skill you expect to roll, not a skill that sounds impressive and never appears |
| Trained Lore | A narrow knowledge field tied to the old life | Treat it as a story key the GM can turn |
| Skill feat | A 1st-level skill feat connected to the trained skill | Prefer feats you can imagine using in the first few sessions |
Background is chosen early during character creation. It is not a subclass, and it does not define the whole build. A Fighter with a courtly background is still a Fighter. A Wizard with a labor background is still a Wizard. The background adds a past, not a cage.
Background Ranking Rules
Beginners do not need a universal ranking of every background. They need a way to judge the one in front of them.
| Grade | What it means | Example logic |
|---|---|---|
| Great | Boosts a useful attribute, trains a relevant skill, gives a skill feat you will use, and fits the campaign | A martial character taking Squire in a knightly campaign |
| Good | Helps either mechanics or story strongly, but not both perfectly | A Sorcerer taking Pilgrim for divine story even if the skill mix is not perfect |
| Fine | The math works and the story works, but the skill feat may be situational | A city background in a wilderness campaign that still explains the character well |
| Risky | The story requires GM attention or the trained skill rarely appears | Royalty in a dungeon crawl with no social structure |
| Bad fit | You chose it only for a boost and will ignore the skill, Lore, feat, and premise | Any background treated like a coupon clipped from a rulebook |
The best background is usually not the one that gives the most optimized spreadsheet line. It is the one that gets rolled, referenced, and remembered.
Attribute Boosts
Most backgrounds offer one boost from a short list and one free boost. You cannot apply both boosts from the same background step to the same attribute.
| Class goal | What the background should help |
|---|---|
| Accuracy and martial basics | Strength or Dexterity, depending on weapon and armor plan |
| Spellcasting | The class's casting attribute, usually Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma |
| Durability | Constitution, especially for frontliners and low-HP characters |
| Skills and knowledge | Intelligence for trained skills and knowledge emphasis |
| Perception, Medicine, divine or nature themes | Wisdom |
| Social scenes and innate magic | Charisma |
Do not panic if the background is not mathematically perfect. PF2e expects several attribute boosts during character creation. A background that supports a secondary skill plan can still be good if the rest of the build handles the key attribute.
Skills Matter More Than Beginners Expect
Background skills shape the scenes where your character gets to speak with authority.
| Skill | Background use | Strong pairings |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Treat Wounds, Battle Medicine paths, practical party recovery | Cleric, Champion, Ranger, Investigator, Monk |
| Society | Cities, laws, customs, people, and institutions | Bard, Rogue, Investigator, Wizard |
| Survival | Travel, tracking, foraging, wilderness routines | Ranger, Barbarian, Druid, Rogue |
| Thievery | Devices, locks, sabotage, and delicate hands | Rogue, Investigator, Swashbuckler, Inventor |
| Religion | Deities, undead, divine magic, rituals, faith | Cleric, Champion, Oracle, Animist |
| Occultism | Esoterica, spirits, curses, weird magic, mysteries | Bard, Witch, Psychic, Thaumaturge |
| Nature | Animals, plants, weather, wilderness, primal topics | Druid, Ranger, Barbarian, Kineticist |
| Athletics | Climb, Swim, Force Open, Grapple, Shove, Trip | Fighter, Barbarian, Monk, Champion, Guardian |
| Deception | Lies, disguises, diversions, social misdirection | Rogue, Bard, Swashbuckler, Sorcerer |
| Diplomacy | Requests, impressions, negotiation, social repair | Bard, Champion, Cleric, Commander |
| Intimidation | Coercion and Demoralize-based combat pressure | Barbarian, Fighter, Champion, Swashbuckler |
Lore Is Not Flavor Text
Lore is narrower than broad skills on purpose. A narrow Lore skill is easier for a GM to reward because it answers a focused question.
| Lore type | What it can do in play |
|---|---|
| Accounting Lore | Spot fake ledgers, track fraud, understand tax records, Earn Income |
| Astrology Lore | Read celestial symbolism, interpret omens, recognize occult references |
| Herbalism Lore | Identify remedies, local plants, folk cures, or dangerous ingredients |
| Piloting Lore | Handle vehicles, travel scenes, and technical transport questions |
| Surgery Lore | Support medical scenes, battlefield care, and grisly investigation details |
| Warfare Lore | Read battlefields, military history, formations, and veteran behavior |
| Deity Lore | Know doctrine, taboos, saints, rites, and local religious expectations |
See the Lore guide for when to roll Lore instead of a broader skill. The short version: Lore should be narrow, useful, and connected to the campaign. "Vampire Court Lore" gives the player a clearer way to act than "Cool Stuff Lore," which is not a skill so much as a cry for help.
Player Core Background Principles
Player Core backgrounds are intentionally compact. They do not try to simulate every year of a character's life. They provide a starting identity and a few mechanical hooks.
For a beginner, a good Player Core-style background should answer three questions:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What did you do before adventuring? | This gives the GM contacts, habits, obligations, and social context |
| What did that life teach you? | This explains the trained skill, Lore, and skill feat |
| Why are you adventuring now? | This moves the character from backstory into play |
Avoid writing a background that is more dramatic than the campaign can support. "Former farmhand who found a sword in a ruin" is often easier to play than "secret heir to three doomed empires and also the moon owes me money."
Player Core 2 Backgrounds
Player Core 2 adds practical common backgrounds and bigger story-facing rare backgrounds. The common backgrounds are useful for ordinary old lives. The rare backgrounds are campaign premises wearing a background hat.
| Background | Boost options | Trained skill and Lore | Skill feat | Beginner read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astrologer | Intelligence or Wisdom plus free | Occultism, Astrology Lore | Oddity Identification | Good for occult mystery tables |
| Barber | Dexterity or Wisdom plus free | Medicine, Surgery Lore | Risky Surgery | Strong if the table wants Medicine coverage |
| Bookkeeper | Intelligence or Wisdom plus free | Society, Accounting Lore | Eye for Numbers | Excellent for intrigue, cities, and investigators |
| Courier | Dexterity or Intelligence plus free | Society, city Lore | Glean Contents | Good urban background with practical skill value |
| Driver | Strength or Dexterity plus free | Acrobatics, Piloting Lore | Assurance with Piloting Lore | Campaign-dependent, better with vehicles or travel |
| Insurgent | Strength or Wisdom plus free | Deception, Warfare Lore | Lengthy Diversion | Strong in rebellion, war, and occupation stories |
| Pilgrim | Wisdom or Charisma plus free | Religion, deity Lore | Pilgrim's Token | Excellent for divine or faith-connected characters |
| Refugee | Constitution or Wisdom plus free | Society, settlement Lore | Streetwise | Strong story hook with practical urban use |
| Root Worker | Intelligence or Wisdom plus free | Occultism, Herbalism Lore | Root Magic | Good for folk magic, occult, and rural campaigns |
| Saboteur | Strength or Dexterity plus free | Thievery, Engineering Lore | Concealing Legerdemain | Excellent for stealthy or rebellion campaigns |
| Scavenger | Intelligence or Wisdom plus free | Survival, settlement Lore | Forager | Strong practical pick for hard-travel campaigns |
| Servant | Dexterity or Charisma plus free | Society, Labor Lore | Read Lips | Good for intrigue if the GM uses social spaces |
| Squire | Strength or Constitution plus free | Athletics, Heraldry or Warfare Lore | Armor Assist | Great for martial characters in knightly stories |
| Tax Collector | Strength or Charisma plus free | Intimidation, settlement Lore | Quick Coercion | Funny, useful, and socially radioactive in the best way |
| Ward | Constitution or Charisma plus free | Performance, Genealogy Lore | Fascinating Performance | Strong for social performers and noble-adjacent stories |
Beginner standouts: Barber, Bookkeeper, Pilgrim, Refugee, Saboteur, Scavenger, Squire, and Ward. Driver and Astrologer can be excellent, but their value depends more on campaign texture.
Rare Backgrounds
Rare backgrounds need GM permission because they change more than the math.
| Rare background | What it asks from the campaign | Beginner caution |
|---|---|---|
| Amnesiac | Hidden past, GM-selected mystery, identity reveal | Great only if the GM wants to manage the secret |
| Blessed | Divine favor or a supernatural mark of grace | Make sure the blessing matters without stealing the Cleric's spotlight |
| Cursed | A real curse, omen, or supernatural burden | Do not take it if everyone wants a low-weirdness travel game |
| Feral Child | Wild upbringing and different survival assumptions | Strong concept, but it needs table respect instead of cartoon behavior |
| Feybound | Fey influence, bargains, strange obligations, or otherworldly history | Works best in campaigns with fey presence |
| Haunted | Ghostly pressure, supernatural attention, or unresolved dead | Excellent horror hook if the GM will actually use it |
| Returned | Death, resurrection, unfinished business, or impossible survival | Powerful story premise, not a casual aesthetic |
| Royalty | Status, access, enemies, obligation, and politics | Great in social campaigns, awkward in pure dungeon crawls |
Rare does not mean stronger. Rare means "ask first, because this can bend the campaign."
Best Backgrounds By Character Type
| Character type | Strong background direction |
|---|---|
| Frontline martial | Squire, Outrider, Guard-style backgrounds, labor or soldier concepts |
| Skill expert | Bookkeeper, Courier, Saboteur, Servant, Refugee |
| Healer or support | Barber, Pilgrim, Root Worker, faith or medical backgrounds |
| Wilderness scout | Outrider, Scavenger, Feral Child with GM buy-in |
| Social face | Ward, Tax Collector, Servant, Pilgrim, noble or courtly backgrounds |
| Occult investigator | Astrologer, Root Worker, Haunted, Feybound |
| Rebellion character | Insurgent, Saboteur, Refugee, Squire |
| Divine character | Pilgrim, Blessed, Cursed, Returned, deity-linked backgrounds |
The background should reinforce the character's table role without making the character one-note. A Rogue with Saboteur is obvious and good. A Rogue with Pilgrim can be better if the campaign has temples, relics, and religious politics.
Best Backgrounds By Campaign Type
| Campaign type | Backgrounds that tend to play well |
|---|---|
| Dungeon exploration | Squire, Barber, Scavenger, Saboteur, Pilgrim |
| Urban intrigue | Bookkeeper, Courier, Servant, Tax Collector, Ward |
| Wilderness survival | Outrider, Scavenger, Feral Child, Refugee |
| War campaign | Squire, Insurgent, Saboteur, Outrider, Refugee |
| Horror or occult mystery | Astrologer, Root Worker, Haunted, Cursed, Returned |
| Religious campaign | Pilgrim, Blessed, Cursed, Returned, deity-focused backgrounds |
| Political campaign | Royalty, Tax Collector, Servant, Bookkeeper, Ward |
Use GM adventure hooks, social encounters, subsystems, and session zero to make these choices matter in play.
Backgrounds And Party Coverage
Backgrounds can cover missing party tools.
| Missing party tool | Background help |
|---|---|
| No healer | Barber or another Medicine background |
| No city expert | Bookkeeper, Courier, Servant, Tax Collector, Refugee |
| No wilderness expert | Outrider, Scavenger, Feral Child |
| No religious expert | Pilgrim, Blessed, Returned, deity-linked background |
| No scout or infiltration angle | Saboteur, Courier, Insurgent |
| No face | Ward, Pilgrim, Tax Collector, Servant |
This is not a command to optimize all joy out of the character. It is a tie-breaker. If two backgrounds both fit the concept, choose the one that gives the party a new way to solve problems.
Duplicate Training
Sometimes your class and background train the same skill. If that happens during 1st-level character creation, choose a different skill as allowed by the character creation rules. If the duplicate is Lore, the replacement is normally another Lore skill.
This is a feature, not a disaster. A background that overlaps with class can still be good because it reinforces the concept and lets you redirect training into another useful tool.
Common Beginner Mistakes
| Mistake | Better habit |
|---|---|
| Choosing only for attribute boosts | Check the skill, Lore, feat, and story hook too |
| Taking a rare background without GM support | Ask whether the campaign will use the premise |
| Ignoring Lore | Offer the GM specific scenes where that Lore should matter |
| Picking a skill nobody understands | Read the skill actions before committing |
| Writing a huge backstory the background cannot support | Keep the old life playable and leave room for the campaign |
| Treating background as a subclass | Your class carries the combat engine; background adds context |
GM Core Advice
GM Core-style prep should treat backgrounds as campaign inputs. A background can create contacts, rumors, factions, old debts, downtime opportunities, Recall Knowledge angles, or personal stakes.
| Player background | GM use |
|---|---|
| Refugee | Old enemies, displaced communities, settlement politics, scarcity |
| Squire | Knightly orders, heraldry, patrons, battlefield obligations |
| Barber | Medical contacts, local gossip, surgery scenes, community trust |
| Bookkeeper | Ledgers, fraud, civic secrets, trade records |
| Pilgrim | Shrines, holy days, religious etiquette, rival cults |
| Saboteur | Occupation forces, resistance cells, damaged infrastructure |
| Haunted | Omens, restless spirits, unresolved deaths, horror pacing |
The GM should not punish the player for choosing a flavorful background. The goal is to pay it off. If a player writes "haunted," do not just say "cool" and then run twenty sessions where no ghost, omen, cold candle, or uneasy priest ever shows up.
Lost Omens Regional Backgrounds
Lost Omens regional backgrounds can be useful when a character's homeland, faction pressure, or regional identity matters. For this guide set, the copyright-safe approach is to discuss what regional backgrounds are for rather than reproducing full regional lists.
Use regional backgrounds when the campaign wants Golarion's places to matter. If the table is playing a local political campaign, a regional background can do more work than a generic job. If the table is playing a disconnected dungeon crawl, a regional background may become decorative.
See the Lost Omens World Guide compatibility guide for using regional material in a Remastered campaign.
Rival Academies Convocation Backgrounds
Lost Omens: Rival Academies adds nine Uncommon backgrounds for characters who study at, work for, or represent an academy at the Convocation. Ask the GM before choosing one. The Uncommon tag matters when the campaign will use school contacts, research, fieldwork, or institutional pressure. In a campaign with none of those things, an ordinary background with the same useful skill may fit better.
| If you want to play... | Consider | What it brings to the campaign |
|---|---|---|
| A magical student with family expectations | Academic Scion | Arcana and a reason for magical study or academy obligations to follow you into play |
| A school representative or partnership-builder | Convocation Scout | Diplomacy for outreach, negotiation, and institutional errands |
| A researcher who writes under someone else's name | Ghostwriter | Society for professional deception, credentials, and academic deadlines |
| An archive regular with strange research habits | Library Dweller | Occultism and a clear reason to pursue obscure material |
| A social academic with a talent for misdirection | Party Scholar | Deception for campus rumors, parties, and social maneuvering |
| A teacher, coach, or public mentor | Respected Mentor | Performance for instruction, presentations, and a visible role in school life |
| The person who keeps colleagues alive | School Medic | Medicine for immediate party support and campus emergencies |
| A competitor whose school expects results | Star Athlete | Athletics for contests, training, and physical challenges |
| A student balancing study with paid work | Working Student | Society and Labor Lore for practical obligations and class tension |
Each option follows the usual background pattern: boosts, a trained skill, Lore, and a skill feat. Its notable twist is the Lore choice. You can keep the named Lore or, when the sourcebook permits it, use a Lore tied to the sponsoring school. That turns the background from a broad student label into a specific relationship the GM can bring into a scene.
The same school-Lore connection can also work with the Player Core Acolyte, Cultist, Merchant, Noble, Scholar, or Teacher backgrounds. Use it when your character belongs at the school but one of those old lives describes them better than the Convocation packages.
Hot Take
Choose a Convocation background for the job it gives you at the table, not for the student aesthetic. School Medic is the easiest fit for a mixed party because Medicine remains useful away from campus; the other options pay off most when the GM plans school scenes that use their research, social position, or obligations.
For the campaign side of that conversation, read the academy campaigns guide. If you are still fitting ancestry, class, and background together, return to character creation.
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Quick Picks
| If you want... | Pick this kind of background |
|---|---|
| The easiest useful beginner pick | A background with Medicine, Society, Survival, Athletics, or Religion |
| A strong social character | Ward, Servant, Tax Collector, Pilgrim, or a courtly background |
| A strong wilderness character | Outrider, Scavenger, Feral Child with GM approval |
| A strong mystery character | Bookkeeper, Astrologer, Root Worker, Haunted |
| A strong martial story | Squire, Insurgent, Outrider, soldier-style backgrounds |
| A strong divine story | Pilgrim, Blessed, Cursed, Returned |
| Maximum GM hooks | Refugee, Haunted, Royalty, Amnesiac, Feybound |
Final Advice
Pick a background that gives you a sentence you can say at the table:
"Before I was an adventurer, I was a..."
If the rest of that sentence gives you a useful skill, a specific Lore, a playable hook, and a reason to care about the first adventure, the background is doing its job.
Return to the beginner hub or the main PF2e guide hub.
