System Reference Document 5.2.1
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Intelligence or Wisdom. One or both abilities are 
ideal for a background that focuses on cerebral or 
spiritual matters.
Charisma.  This ability is ideal for a background 
that involves performance or social interaction.
2: Choose a Feat
Choose one feat from the Origin category. See “Ori -
gin Feats” for examples of Origin feats.
3: Choose Skill Proficiencies
Choose two skills appropriate for the background. 
There needn’t be a relationship between the skill 
proficiencies a background grants and the ability 
scores it increases.
4: Choose a Tool Proficiency
Choose one tool used in the practice of the back -
ground or often associated with it.
5: Choose Equipment
Assemble a package of equipment worth 50 GP (in -
cluding unspent gold). Don’t include Martial weap -
ons or armor, as characters get them from their 
class choices.
Curses and 
Magical Contagions
A curse is a magical burden that lasts for a specified 
time or until it is ended by some means. A magical 
contagion is an adverse effect of magical origin that 
is contagious by definition.
 The following sections discuss curses and magical 
contagions in detail.
Curses
A curse typically takes one of the forms detailed 
below.
Bestow Curse
The simplest curses are created by the Bestow Curse  
spell. The effects of such curses are limited and can 
be ended by the Remove Curse spell.
 Bestow Curse provides useful benchmarks for 
gauging the potency of other curses. A curse that 
lasts for 1 minute equates to a level 3 spell, while 
one that lasts until dispelled equates to a level 9 
spell.
Cursed Creatures
Some monsters are associated with curses, whether 
as part of their origins or due to their ability to 
spread curses—werewolves being a prime example.
 You decide how a spell like Remove Curse affects 
a creature with accursed origins. For example, you 
might decide that a mummy was created through a 
curse and it can be destroyed permanently only by 
casting Remove Curse on its corpse.
Cursed Magic Items
Cursed magic items are created deliberately or 
originate as the result of supernatural events. Such 
items are detailed in “Magic Items.”
Narrative Curses
A curse might manifest during an adventure when 
a creature’s violation of a taboo warrants supernat -
ural punishment, such as breaking a vow, defiling a 
tomb, or murdering an innocent. Such a curse can 
have any effects you design, or it might be a custom -
ized version of another type of curse discussed in 
this section.
 A creature affected by such a curse should know 
why they’re being punished and be able to learn 
how to end their curse, likely by symbolically 
righting the wrong they committed. How a spell 
like Remove Curse affects a curse that’s part of your 
adventure is up to you—the spell might merely sup -
press the effects of the curse for a time. Regardless, 
narrative curses should feel like rare, potent magic 
rooted in the lore of your campaign.
Environmental Curses
Some locations are so suffused with evil that any -
one who lingers there is burdened with a curse. 
Demonic Possession is one example of an environ -
mental curse.
 Demonic Possession. Demonic Possession arises 
from the chaos and evil of the Abyss and commonly 
besets creatures that interact with demonic objects 
or linger in desecrated locations, where demonic 
spirits await victims.
 A creature that becomes the target of Demonic 
Possession must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma sav -
ing throw or be possessed by a bodiless demonic 
entity. Whenever the possessed creature rolls a 1 
on a D20 Test, the demonic entity takes control of 
the creature and determines the creature’s behav -
ior thereafter. At the end of each of the possessed 
creature’s later turns, the creature makes a DC 15 
Charisma saving throw, regaining control of itself 
on a success.
 After finishing a Long Rest, a creature with De -
monic Possession makes a DC 15 Charisma saving 
throw. On a successful save, the effect ends on the 
creature. A Dispel Evil and Good spell or any magic 
that removes a curse also ends the effect on it.