Player Core
Chapter 2: Ancestries & Backgrounds
Backgrounds
Source Player Core pg. 92
Your character's abilities don't spring into existence the moment they take up the adventuring life. Their background—the role they had before they became an adventurer—also provides a number of abilities. Most backgrounds are common and can be selected by any character, but some adventurers come from more distinctive roots and might have uncommon or rare backgrounds. The particular histories behind these rare backgrounds provide specialized benefits.
At 1st level, when you create your character, you gain a background of your choice. This decision is permanent; you can't change it at later levels. Each background listed here grants two boosts, usually a skill feat, and the trained proficiency rank in two skills, one of which is a Lore skill. If you gain the trained proficiency rank in a skill from your background and would then gain the trained proficiency rank in the same skill from your class at 1st level, you instead become trained in another skill of your choice.
Lore skills represent deep knowledge of a specific subject and are described on the Lore Skill page. If a Lore skill involves a choice (for instance, a choice of metaphysical topics), explain your preference to the GM, who has the final say on whether it's acceptable or not. If you'd like some suggestions, the Common Lore Subcategories sidebar on the Lore Skill page lists a number of Lore skills that are suitable for most campaigns. Skill feats expand the functions of your skills and appear in Chapter 5: Feats.
At 1st level, when you create your character, you gain a background of your choice. This decision is permanent; you can't change it at later levels. Each background listed here grants two boosts, usually a skill feat, and the trained proficiency rank in two skills, one of which is a Lore skill. If you gain the trained proficiency rank in a skill from your background and would then gain the trained proficiency rank in the same skill from your class at 1st level, you instead become trained in another skill of your choice.
Lore skills represent deep knowledge of a specific subject and are described on the Lore Skill page. If a Lore skill involves a choice (for instance, a choice of metaphysical topics), explain your preference to the GM, who has the final say on whether it's acceptable or not. If you'd like some suggestions, the Common Lore Subcategories sidebar on the Lore Skill page lists a number of Lore skills that are suitable for most campaigns. Skill feats expand the functions of your skills and appear in Chapter 5: Feats.