Summary

  • Farmer: Cultivating food and handling animals is practical in post-apocalyptic scenarios.
  • Sailor: Navigating without apps is useful.
  • Merchant: Business skills and persuasion proficiency are valuable in real life.

Backgrounds are a great way to make your character in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons feel unique. However, in-game, some backgrounds are more practical than others. Beyond that, it's easy to imagine that, if you had one of these backgrounds as part of your per💜sonal backstory IRL, some might prove more useful than others in the real world🍌.

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After all, in modern day, how usefulꦡ is an acolyte really going to be, or even a hermit? We've taken it upon ourselves to rank the most useful DND backgrounds for use in everyday life. Here are the most useful Dungeons & Dragons backgrounds IRL.

10 Farmer

Useful When The World Inevitably Ends

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a farmland.
Farmer background image by Kenny Vo.

I'm a bit of a pessimist when it comes to the state of the world, s꧂o frankly, I'm always looking to befriend people with practical skills so that, when the world comes to an end, I'm covered. I don't have a lot of useful skills myself, but any friend with the farmer background is sure to come in handy.

Being able to grow💖 and cultivate food and other plants is an extremely pra🏅ctical skill. Plus, farmers are good with animal handling, which will prove useful when nature starts to reclaim society. Again, sorry, I'm a pessimist in this regard.

9 Sailor

Just A Downright Practical Skill

This is official art for the Sailor Background by Noor Rahman.
D&D Sailor Background Art by Noor Rahman in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

I'm a sucker for maritime skillsets and any ability that has a distinct feeling of yesterye🌳ar. I've always wanted to learn to sail, and frankly, knowing how t♎o navigate oceans is extremely practical. However, some things make this background not so relevant these days.

Namely, the fact that m🐷ost of us don't travel by shi💙p anymore. However, I'm a steadfast believer that knowing how to navigate sans navigation apps is always helpful, so sailor still earns a small spot on this list.

8 Merchant

Small Business Owners Unite

The merchant background artwork in the Player's Handbook in Dungeons & Dragons
Merchant Background by Kamila Szutenberg

No matter where you go, unfortunately, business is going to be a big part of the world. That's why becoming a merchant is typically going to be a good idea, and having a strong head for business is definitely going to prove us♍eful.

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Merchants also have proficiency with Persuasion, which is always a valuable skill to have in the real world. If you can convince someone to buy something you▨'re trying to pawn off, you can basically conquer the world.

7 Scribe

Reading Is The Gift Of Knowledge

A scriptorium in Dungeons & Dragons.
Scribe Background by Kamila Szutenberg

Is the scribe basically the academic of the Dungeons & Dragons world? Yes. Are academics in theꦓ real world often considered disposable? Also, yes. But, I don't consider academics disposable, and so adding scribe to this list is the hill I'm choosing to die on.

Reading, writing, and studying are the hallmarks of a civilized society. Are you going to be the most employable? Maybe not. But, do you have ౠa skillset that never goes out of style if you're a scribe? In my opinion, yes. Plus, it's still better than something like sage background.

6 Charlatan

Cunning And Crafty

Dungeons & Dragons image showing the Charlatan background.
Charlatan background image by Luca Bancone.

As much as I wish we lived in a utopian society, we simply don't. People who can use their wiles to their advantage, sometimes at the expense of others, are always going to be able ꦺto come out on top. In this way, the charlatan background is going to prove downright useful.

Some of the most influential people in the world definitely have charlatan backgrounds. And, even if their success or notoriety is short-lived, it's undeniable that their influence was f🙈elt regardless. While I don't necessarily condone this background, I have to admit that it's got its perks.

5 Criminal

Time To Get Real

A criminal lair in Dungeons & Dragons.
Criminal Background by Noor Rahman

Similar to the charlatan background, it's a little bit undeniable in my mind that havi♑ng a criminal background would prove useful in real life. Being🧸 sneaky and stealthy, and being able to use tons of different resources to your advantage, could guarantee that you catapult yourself right to the top of whatever field you're in.

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Of course, with this background in tow, you might have to get used to using a more gray moral compass. But, I can't deny that having a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:set of Thieves' Tools might prove useful to me in my everyday life.

4 Artisan

Basically Etsy

An artisan's workshop in Dungeons & Dragons.
Artisan Background by Luca Bancone

Moving out of the criminal underbelly of the real world, I think having an artisan background could also prove immensely useful IRL. Every day, we see more people making a living from unique crafts. Cosplayers make a name for themselves ✅thanks to their unique skills, and who can deny that these people aren't artisans of the highest order?

Ultimately, what makes this background so useful is how flexible it is. You can use this skillset and168澳洲幸运5开奖网: its crafter feat ꦑto make a living off of any𝐆 number of wares. This background is honestly probably one of the most useful and practical in the Dungeons & Dragons universe writ large.

3 💎 ༺ Entertainer

Celebrate Celebrity

Dungeons & Dragons image showing the Entertainer background.
Entertainer background image by Kenny Vo.

There's no denying it. Bein🔴g famous just has its perks. Does it have its drawbacks? Of course. But, at the end of the day, the social clout that comes with being famous is just too useful to pass up. If you're famous IRL, you can wield considerable influence and wealth.

If I could snap my fingers and try out being famous, even just for a day, I would. And yes, I know there's basically a plethora of songs, movies, and TV shows all claiming that fame is a monster that consumes everything in its path, but I simply ⛎refuse♊ to listen.

2 Wayfarer

Street Smarts

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a dark street.
Wayfarer background image by Jonas De Ro

Street smarts are always going to be more valuable than book smarts. Being able to make it on your own 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in a big city ✤or a strange new place is always going to prove useful. If you can start from nothing and work your way to the top, well, frankly, that's a skill that's really worth having.

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Also, wayfarers are typically defined by being slightly cast off by society. In my opinion, being a bit of an outcast can build character, at least in terms of Dungeons & Dragons characters. So, there's no reason this principle can't apply to the real world, too! Plus, having proficiency in Insigh🔯t is definitely useful to have for the real w♎orld.

1 Noble

Basically The Dream

Dungeons & Dragons image showing the Noble background.
Noble background image by Noor Rahman.

Is this a bit of a cop-out? Definitely, yes. Does it make my assessment any less accur🌼ate? Surely no. Being a noble from birth, or even by circumstance, is useful in Dungeons & Dr🎀agons just as much as it is in real life. Money talks, and sadly, having a lot of it speaks volumes.

Do I wish I could make an argument that being a humble artisan would be the most practical? Of course. But, I want to level with you. So, that leaves nobles at the top of t🧔his list. I don't make the rules.

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Your Rating

Original Release Date
1974
Designer
E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson 🦩 ﷺ
Player Count
2+