Background; I became…

Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything p. 64

Acolyte

dice: d6	I became an acolyte because…
1	I ran away from home at an early age and found refuge in a temple.
2	My family gave me to a temple, since they were unable or unwilling to care for me.
3	I grew up in a household with strong religious convictions. Entering the service of one or more gods seemed natural.
4	An impassioned sermon struck a chord deep in my soul and moved me to serve the faith.
5	I followed a childhood friend, a respected acquaintance, or someone I loved into religious service.
6	After encountering a true servant of the gods, I was so inspired that I immediately entered the service of a religious group.
^acolyte

Charlatan

dice: d6	I became a charlatan because…
1	I was left to my own devices, and my knack for manipulating others helped me survive.
2	I learned early on that people are gullible and easy to exploit.
3	I often got in trouble, but I managed to talk my way out of it every time.
4	I took up with a confidence artist, from whom I learned my craft.
5	After a charlatan fleeced my family, I decided to learn the trade so I would never be fooled by such deception again.
6	I was poor or I feared becoming poor, so I learned the tricks I needed to keep myself out of poverty.
^charlatan

Criminal

dice: d6	I became a criminal because…
1	I resented authority in my younger days and saw a life of crime as the best way to fight against tyranny and oppression.
2	Necessity forced me to take up the life, since it was the only way I could survive.
3	I fell in with a gang of reprobates and ne’er-do-wells, and I learned my specialty from them.
4	A parent or relative taught me my criminal specialty to prepare me for the family business.
5	I left home and found a place in a thieves’ guild or some other criminal organization.
6	I was always bored, so I turned to crime to pass the time and discovered I was quite good at it.
^criminal

Entertainer

dice: d6	I became an entertainer because…
1	Members of my family made ends meet by performing, so it was fitting for me to follow their example.
2	I always had a keen insight into other people, enough so that I could make them laugh or cry with my stories or songs.
3	I ran away from home to follow a minstrel troupe.
4	I saw a bard perform once, and I knew from that moment on what I was born to do.
5	I earned coin by performing on street corners and eventually made a name for myself.
6	A traveling entertainer took me in and taught me the trade.
^entertainer

Folk Hero

dice: d6	I became a folk hero because…
1	I learned what was right and wrong from my family.
2	I was always enamored by tales of heroes and wished I could be something more than ordinary.
3	I hated my mundane life, so when it was time for someone to step up and do the right thing, I took my chance.
4	A parent or one of my relatives was an adventurer, and I was inspired by that person’s courage.
5	A mad old hermit spoke a prophecy when I was born, saying that I would accomplish great things.
6	I have always stood up for those who are weaker than I am.
^folk-hero

Guild Artisan

dice: d6	I became a guild artisan because…
1	I was apprenticed to a master who taught me the guild’s business.
2	I helped a guild artisan keep a secret or complete a task, and in return I was taken on as an apprentice.
3	One of my family members who belonged to the guild made a place for me.
4	I was always good with my hands, so I took the opportunity to learn a trade.
5	I wanted to get away from my home situation and start a new life.
6	I learned the essentials of my craft from a mentor but had to join the guild to finish my training.
^guild-artisan

Hermit

dice: d6	I became a hermit because…
1	My enemies ruined my reputation, and I fled to the wilds to avoid further disparagement.
2	I am comfortable with being isolated, as I seek inner peace.
3	I never liked the people I called my friends, so it was easy for me to strike out on my own.
4	I felt compelled to forsake my past, but did so with great reluctance, and sometimes I regret making that decision.
5	I lost everything-my home, my family, my friends. Going it alone was all I could do.
6	Society’s decadence disgusted me, so I decided to leave it behind.
^hermit

Noble

dice: d6	I became a noble because…
1	I come from an old and storied family, and it fell to me to preserve the family name.
2	My family has been disgraced, and I intend to clear our name.
3	My family recently came by its title, and that elevation thrust us into a new and strange world.
4	My family has a title, but none of my ancestors have distinguished themselves since we gained it.
5	My family is filled with remarkable people. I hope to live up to their example.
6	I hope to increase my family’s power and influence.
^noble

Outlander

dice: d6	I became an outlander because…
1	I spent a lot of time in the wilderness as a youngster, and I came to love that way of life.
2	From a young age, I couldn’t abide the stink of the cities and preferred to spend my time in nature.
3	I came to understand the darkness that lurks in the wilds, and I vowed to combat it.
4	My people lived on the edges of civilization, and I learned the methods of survival from my family.
5	After a tragedy I retreated to the wilderness, leaving my old life behind.
6	My family moved away from civilization, and I learned to adapt to my new environment.
^outlander

Sage

dice: d6	I became a sage because…
1	I was naturally curious, so I packed up and went to a university to learn more about the world.
2	My mentor’s teachings opened my mind to new possibilities in that field of study.
3	I was always an avid reader, and I learned much about my favorite topic on my own.
4	I discovered an old library and pored over the texts I found there. That experience awakened a hunger for more knowledge.
5	I impressed a wizard who told me I was squandering my talents and should seek out an education to take advantage of my gifts.
6	One of my parents or a relative gave me a basic education that whetted my appetite, and I left home to build on what I had learned.
^sage

Sailor

dice: d6	I became a sailor because…
1	I was press-ganged by pirates and forced to serve on their ship until I finally escaped.
2	I wanted to see the world, so I signed on as a deck-hand for a merchant ship.
3	One of my relatives was a sailor who took me to sea.
4	I needed to escape my community quickly, so I stowed away on a ship. When the crew found me, I was forced to work for my passage.
5	Reavers attacked my community, so I found refuge on a ship until I could seek vengeance.
6	I had few prospects where I was living, so I left to find my fortune elsewhere.
^sailor

Soldier

dice: d6	I became a soldier because…
1	I joined the militia to help protect my community from monsters.
2	A relative of mine was a soldier, and I wanted to carry on the family tradition.
3	The local lord forced me to enlist in the army.
4	War ravaged my homeland while I was growing up. Fighting was the only life I ever knew.
5	I wanted fame and fortune, so I joined a mercenary company, selling my sword to the highest bidder.
6	Invaders attacked my homeland. It was my duty to take up arms in defense of my people.
^soldier

Urchin

dice: d6	I became an urchin because…
1	Wanderlust caused me to leave my family to see the world. I look after myself.
2	I ran away from a bad situation at home and made my own way in the world.
3	Monsters wiped out my village, and I was the sole survivor. I had to find a way to survive.
4	A notorious thief looked after me and other orphans, and we spied and stole to earn our keep.
5	One day I woke up on the streets, alone and hungry, with no memory of my early childhood.
6	My parents died, leaving no one to look after me. I raised myself.
^urchin