Custom Backgrounds
A player can build a background from scratch instead of choosing a published one. The Background picker carries a Custom Background entry at the top of its list, and choosing it opens the custom background builder. The limits you set in Settings shape what the builder offers, and one of those settings removes the entry from the picker.
The builder
Section titled “The builder”The builder is a single dialog. It opens with a name field and a description field, followed by a section for each kind of benefit a background grants. A name left blank falls back to a default. The description field takes flavor text, and the generated summary of the selections is placed above it.
Ability scores
Section titled “Ability scores”The ability section lists the abilities the system allows a background to improve, each with a checkbox. A hint states how many abilities to choose, the points to spend across them, and the cap on a single ability. The remaining boxes are disabled once the required number is checked.
Skill proficiencies
Section titled “Skill proficiencies”The skill section lists every skill as a checkbox, and a hint states how many to choose. The remaining boxes are disabled once that count is reached.
Tool proficiencies
Section titled “Tool proficiencies”The tool section is a dropdown that lists tool proficiencies grouped by category. Each chosen tool appears below as a removable chip. The chip links to the tool item when the system provides one. The dropdown is disabled once the configured number of tools is chosen, and removing a chip frees it again. This section is hidden when Settings grants no tools.
Language proficiencies
Section titled “Language proficiencies”The language section is a dropdown that lists languages grouped by category. Each chosen language appears below as a removable chip. The dropdown is disabled once the configured number of languages is chosen, and removing a chip frees it again. This section is hidden when Settings grants no languages.
Origin feats
Section titled “Origin feats”The feat section has a button that opens the feat browser filtered to origin feats. The browser stays open so the player can add more than one, and closes once the configured count is reached. The button is disabled once that count is reached. Each chosen feat appears as a removable entry linking to the feat item. This section is hidden when Settings grants no feats.
Creating the background
Section titled “Creating the background”The builder refuses to create the background until every section holds exactly its required count. A warning lists what is still missing.
On create, the background is written to a world compendium named Hero Mancer 2, inside a Custom Backgrounds folder. Both are created the first time a background is built. Only a GM can create a compendium, so build one custom background yourself before your players reach for the builder.
The description is built from the selections. Abilities and skills link to their rules entries, and feats and tools link to their items. Languages appear as plain text, and a line lists the starting gold. A custom background has no rules journal page, so the picker shows this description in its detail panel.
The selections are stored on the background as advancements. The chosen abilities become an ability-score improvement, and the player spends the configured points across them on the Advancements step, under a group named after the background. The chosen skills, tools and languages are granted outright. Each chosen feat is granted as an item.
A custom background carries no equipment entries. Its section on the Equipment step offers only the starting gold.
The new background is then selected in the Background picker. Opening the builder clears the picker, and cancelling leaves no background chosen.