Veilborn (HB)

You were born at a time and place where the Veil of the Hidden World was at its thinnest, or abandoned there as an infant. The energies of the spiritual realm, roaming wildly around you, infused your being. Ever since childhood, you showed signs of divergent behavior, spooking and unnerving your peers, causing you to be treated with caution even by those responsible for your upbringing. Alternatively, you might have been raised by spirits; Rusalki bathed your hair or Poputniki taught you to hunt for wild mushrooms, educating you in the ways of their elusive domain long before you came into contact with denizens of civilized society. Regardless, you could never truly attain a sense of belonging, as you still struggle to find your place between these two worlds.

A background lists three of your character's ability scores. Increase one by 2 and another one by 1, or increase all three by 1. None of these increases can raise a score above 20.

You gain the following benefits.

Harrowkin. When a Harrow causes your Veilmark Score to increase after you had chosen to Resist its effects, deduct your Proficiency Bonus from this increment (minimum 1). If you had chosen to Embrace the Harrow's effects instead, you may add your Proficiency Bonus to this increment.

Spiritual Manifestation. Your exposure to the influence of the Hidden World and its beings has shaped you. Your Veilmark Score increases to 25, if not already higher.

Speaking in Tongues. You can understand and speak Sylvan.

Unnatural Stamina. Whenever you finish a Long rest, you regain one additional spent Hit Die, for each Veilmark threshold you have crossed.

Each background gives a character proficiency with one tool—either a specific tool or one chosen from the Artisan's Tools category.

Artisan's tools:

Choose A or B: (A) Artisan's Tools (same as above), 1 Backpack, 1 Bedroll, 10 Candles, 1 Dagger, 5 days of Rations, Rope, 10 Torches, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP