A Traveling Chef's Backstory: Adventure, Cuisine, And Culture

A travelling chef in D&D 5e could have any number of backgrounds, depending on their motivations for adventuring. A chef who was once a soldier will be very different from one that used to be a sailor, acolyte, or urchin. A chef with a military background could be a fighter who cooked for their army or navy before setting off on their adventure. A cleric chef could have worked in the kitchen of an abbey or monastery, while a warlock chef may have sold their soul for exceptional culinary skills.

The Guild Artisan background is the most obvious choice for a travelling chef, as it includes cooks, but creating a unique backstory for a character with a different background can add depth to their character. For example, a chef with the Entertainer background could travel from town to town in a food cart, putting on a show for their customers as they cook.

A travelling chef could also be a druid who loves to bake, a barbarian with a massive flaming skillet, or a warlock who uses their magic to infuse their cooking.

Guild Artisan

The Guild Artisan background is a great fit for a travelling chef in 5e. As a member of an artisan's guild, you are skilled in a particular field—in this case, cooking—and closely associated with other artisans. You learned your skills as an apprentice to a master chef under the sponsorship of your guild, and now you are a master chef in your own right.

Guilds are generally found in cities large enough to support several artisans practising the same trade. However, your guild might instead be a loose network of artisans who each work in a different village within a larger realm. Work with your Dungeon Master to determine the nature of your guild.

As a member of your guild, you know the skills needed to create finished dishes from raw materials, as well as the principles of trade and good business practices. Now, you must decide whether to abandon your trade for adventure, or take on the extra effort to weave adventuring and trade together.

As an established and respected member of a guild, you can rely on certain benefits that membership provides. Your fellow guild members will provide you with lodging and food if necessary, and pay for your funeral if needed. Guilds often wield tremendous political power, and if you are accused of a crime, your guild will support you if a good case can be made for your innocence or if the crime is justifiable. You can also gain access to powerful political figures through the guild, if you are a member in good standing. Such connections might require the donation of money or magic items to the guild's coffers.

• I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it – I'm a perfectionist.
• I'm a snob who looks down on those who can't appreciate fine food.
• I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.
• I'm full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.
• I'm rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play.
• I like to talk at length about my profession.
• I don't part with my money easily and will haggle tirelessly to get the best deal possible.
• I'm well known for my culinary creations, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates them. I'm always taken aback when people haven't heard of me.
• I'll do anything to get my hands on a rare ingredient or an ancient recipe.
• I'm quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me.
• No one must ever learn that I once stole money from guild coffers.
• I'm never satisfied with what I have – I always want to create more and better dishes.
• I would kill to acquire a noble title and open the finest restaurant in the realm.
• I'm horribly jealous of anyone who can outshine my culinary creations. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by rivals.

Entertainer

Skills and Equipment

Routines

When creating an entertainer character, you can choose up to three routines for them to perform. These could include:

• Instrumentalist
• Storyteller
• Juggler
• Dancer
• Magician
• Singer
• Actor

With the entertainer background, your character can perform at inns, theatres, circuses, or anywhere with a stage. While performing, they receive free lodging and food, allowing them to take long rests for free as they travel. Their performances also make them famous and well-liked, making it easier to persuade people to help them.

Personality Traits

• "I know a story relevant to almost every situation."
• "I love a good insult, even one directed at me."
• "I get bitter if I'm not the centre of attention."
• "I'll settle for nothing less than perfection."
• "I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change the key in a song."

Bonds

Bonds represent your connections to people, places, and events in the world. Some examples of bonds for an entertainer character include:

• "I want to be famous, whatever it takes."
• "I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe."
• "I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person."

Ideals

Ideals define what your character believes in most strongly. Some possible ideals for an entertainer could be:

• "Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action."
• "People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters."
• "Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are."

Flaws

Your character's flaw could be a vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness that someone could exploit. Some examples of flaws for an entertainer include:

• "I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble."
• "I'll do anything to win fame and renown."
• "I'm a sucker for a pretty face."
• "I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat."

Soldier

A travelling chef with a Soldier background could be an interesting character to play. Here are some ideas for how this might work:

Quirks and Behaviour

Relationships with Others

Loyalty is a key trait for soldiers. Your character might feel a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie with their fellow adventurers, even if they don't always see eye to eye. As a sergeant, they would be a natural leader or second-in-command, looking out for the well-being of the group and keeping morale high. They would also be protective of their companions, always ready to jump into battle to defend their allies.

Background and Personality

Your character's military background could have a significant impact on their personality. Perhaps they are a veteran of many battles, scarred by their experiences and wary of strangers. They might be distrustful of certain races or factions they fought against in the past. Alternatively, they could be a reluctant soldier, pressed into service and seeking a way out of the military life. Their time in the army might have been a means of escape from a noble background, or they could be a commoner who volunteered out of a sense of duty or adventure.

Skills and Abilities

As a soldier, your character would have a range of skills that could be useful in a variety of situations. They might have expertise in weaponry, knowing exactly what to look for when choosing or maintaining their equipment. They could also have knowledge of explosives or siege weapons, or be skilled in medicine and healing. Their military training would make them highly disciplined, punctual, and organised. They would also have strong situational awareness, always alert and keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Equipment

A soldier-turned-chef might carry some unique equipment that reflects their background. In addition to their cooking utensils, they could have a well-maintained weapon, such as a short sword or spear, that they use for protection. They might also have a uniform or armour that they wear into battle, perhaps with some modifications or additions that reflect their new culinary pursuits.

Characteristics

Your character could have a mix of characteristics that reflect their soldier background and their new life as a chef. They might be stoic and disciplined, but also creative and passionate about their cooking. They could be a natural leader, always looking out for their companions, but also willing to follow the lead of others when it comes to culinary matters. Their military experience might make them cautious and strategic, always assessing the situation before acting.

Sailor

The Sailor background for 5e is a fun option, offering two useful skills and a great feature to find safe passage on a ship whenever needed. If you want to play a travelling chef, you could have your character be a sailor who cooks for the crew. Here are some ideas for how to incorporate the Sailor background into your character's backstory:

Personality Traits

• I've got a sea superstition for every occasion and I take them very seriously.
• I keep trinkets and souvenirs from every port I've visited, and I have a story about each one.
• I always learn how to swear in the local language of every port I visit.
• I get tattoos in every port as travel keepsakes.
• I'm always playing with a length of rope, tying and untying knots to keep my hands busy.
• If it's too quiet, I start singing sea shanties under my breath.
• Being too far inland makes me feel dizzy and disoriented.
• No matter how long I've been off the ship, the first thing I do when I arrive in a new place is check the market for fruit.

Backstory Ideas

• You could be a castaway who was shipwrecked alone or as part of a group. Daily survival was your way of life for many years, and you learned to hunt, fish and build shelter before you were eventually rescued. Your life of seclusion has made you strong, but you often feel like an outsider among civilized folk.
• Explorers grow up dreaming of sailing the seas to the far edges of the world and beyond. You are skilled at making maps, and your knowledge of cartography and sense of direction make you a valuable addition to the crew of any ship, especially those undertaking expeditions into uncharted waters.
• You could be a pirate, but why did you choose to raid other vessels? What crimes did you commit? How does your character feel about that experience? Do they embrace it as part of their identity or do they reject it as an act of desperation?
• You could be a sailor who is always on the lookout for rare and exotic ingredients in every port you visit, which you use to create delicious and unique dishes for your crew.
• You could be a sailor who is obsessed with finding the perfect recipe for a particular dish, and you travel from port to port, sampling local variations and tweaking your recipe until it's perfect.

Alchemist Artificer

The Alchemist Artificer is a back-row support character, focusing on healing, buffs, and utility. While they don't cast spells, they create machines to replicate the effects of spells.

The Alchemist Artificer's abilities can be flavoured as cooking-related. For example, instead of a dagger, they could wield a chef's knife, and instead of scale armour, they could wear a baking apron that has been used so much, it's effectively armour. Their breath could be used to cook food, and they could use their energy to make soup.

The Alchemist Artificer's infusions could include a +1 kitchen knife, enhanced focus (a wooden spoon), and an alchemy jug.

The Artificer's healing abilities can be flavoured as cooking restorative meals. For example, Cure Wounds could be cookies, and Lesser Restoration could be hot cocoa or tea.

The Artificer's offensive abilities can also be flavoured as cooking-related. For example, Fire Bolt could be a cooking torch, and Acid Splash could be lemon juice.

The Artificer's Experimental Elixirs can be flavoured as various dishes or drinks. For example, Resilience could be a stew that grants temporary protection, and Boldness could be a strong drink that grants bravery.

The Artificer's Alchemical Savant ability can be flavoured as the chef's expertise in combining various ingredients to create powerful effects.

The Artificer's Restorative Reagents ability can be flavoured as the chef's ability to create dishes that restore health and grant temporary protection.

The Artificer's Chemical Mastery ability can be flavoured as the chef's ability to create dishes that grant resistance to certain types of damage.

When creating a background for the Alchemist Artificer, consider the following:

• The Guild Artisan background is a good fit, as it includes cooks and can be flavoured as a culinary guild.
• The Sage background is also a good fit, as it includes the Alchemist specialty.
• Custom backgrounds are also an option, allowing for more flexibility in creating a unique backstory for the character.

Overall, the Alchemist Artificer can be effectively flavoured as a travelling chef, with their abilities and features themed around cooking, creating unique and powerful dishes to support their allies and defeat their enemies.

Frequently asked questions