Culture and Background (2)

Learn how your character's Culture and Background affect stats, skills, and interactions in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Make the right choice!

Alright, let's talk about how you're going to shape your character right from the start in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Your character's Culture and Background aren't just flavor text; they actually have a real impact on your stats, skills, and even how certain people in the world will react to you. Think of it like picking your hometown and your past profession – it defines a lot about who you are.

First up is Culture. This is basically where you're from, your ethnic group, and it gives you a nice little boost to one of your core attributes. It also plays a role in which Backgrounds you'll even be able to pick from later. Here's a quick rundown of the cultures available to player characters and their stat bonuses:

Culture	Might	Constitution	Dexterity	Perception	Intellect	Resolve
Aedyr	-	-	-	-	-	+1
Deadfire Archipelago	-	-	+1	-	-	-
Ixamitl Plains	-	-	-	-	-	+1
The Living Lands	+1	-	-	-	-	-
Old Vailia	-	-	-	-	+1	-
Rauatai	-	+1	-	-	-	-
The White that Wends	-	-	-	+1	-	-

Keep in mind, there are other cultures out there in the world, like The Dyrwood, but they aren't options for your player character. So, choose wisely based on the attribute you want to boost!

Next, we have Background. This is your character's origin story, and mechanically, it's where you get your initial skill boosts. You'll either get +1 rank in three different skills or +2 ranks in one skill. This can give you a significant head start in certain areas.

Here's a look at the available Backgrounds and their skill bonuses:

Background	Skill 1	Skill 2	Skill 3
Aristocrat	+1 Bluff	+1 Diplomacy	+1 Intimidate
Artist	+1 History	+1 Insight	+1 Mechanics
Clergyman	+2 Religion	-	-
Colonist	+1 Alchemy	+1 Athletics	+1 Survival
Dissident	+1 History	+1 Intimidate	+1 Stealth
Drifter	+1 Bluff	+1 Sleight of Hand	+1 Streetwise
Explorer	+1 Diplomacy	+1 History	+1 Survival
Hunter	+1 Alchemy	+1 Mechanics	+1 Survival
Laborer	+2 Athletics	-	-
Mercenary	+1 Athletics	+1 Intimidate	+1 Streetwise
Merchant	+1 Bluff	+1 Diplomacy	+1 Streetwise
Mystic	+1 Arcana	+1 Metaphysics	+1 Religion
Philosopher	+2 Insight	-	-
Raider	+1 Athletics	+1 Stealth	+1 Streetwise
Scholar	+1 Arcana	+1 History	+1 Metaphysics
Scientist	+1 Arcana	+1 Explosives	+1 Metaphysics
Slave	+1 Athletics	+1 Streetwise	+1 Survival

Just like with cultures, some backgrounds are reserved for NPCs, like Farmer and Marksman. Also, remember that your choice of Culture can actually limit which Backgrounds you're allowed to pick. For example, you can't be an Artist if you're from The Living Lands. It's all about building a cohesive character!

Here's a handy chart showing which Backgrounds are available for each Culture. Take a good look before you commit:

Background	Aedyr	Deadfire Archipelago	Ixamitl Plains	The Living Lands	Old Vailia	Rauatai	The White that Wends
Aristocrat	✓	✓	✓	-	✓	✓	✓
Artist	-	-	-	-	✓	-	-
Clergyman	✓	✓	-	-	-	-	-
Colonist	✓	-	-	✓	✓	-	-
Dissident	✓	-	✓	-	✓	✓	-
Drifter	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Explorer	-	✓	-	✓	-	-	✓
Hunter	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Laborer	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Mercenary	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	-
Merchant	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Mystic	-	-	-	-	-	-	✓
Philosopher	-	-	✓	-	-	-	-
Raider	-	✓	-	-	-	-	-
Scholar	-	-	✓	-	-	✓	-
Scientist	-	-	-	✓	-	-	-
Slave	✓	✓	-	-	✓	✓	-

So, take your time with these choices. They're a big part of what makes your character unique in the world of Deadfire!