Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Underworld Character Background

Underworld Background
The teeming cities of the d20 game world provide opportunities for countless adventures. The activities associated with this background represent moneymaking efforts on the wrong side of the law. A character may operate solo, as part of a small gang, or as part of a large thieves' guild or organized crime family. Some characters with underworld backgrounds use a false name to attain the benefits of their reputation while avoiding entanglements with law enforcement.

The underworld offers few chances for formal recognition (reflected by the relatively high recognition check DCs in this background), although some criminal syndicates have ranks and titles. The notion of underworld recognitioin may not be appropriate for every setting.

Each activity in this background is associated with a particular skill- the one mentioned first in the entry's Skills column. A character's ranks in that skill provide a bonus on recognition checks.