Wasteland 3 backgrounds

Each character can have a background selected in Wasteland 3, which gives unique bonuses.

Character's Backgrounds

Name	Effect	Desc
Bookworm	+5% Experience bonus	You grew up in the Ag Center in Arizona, raised among scientists, which means you know how to do research. It's not hard. People just aren't in the habit of picking up books anymore. Which is good, because no one knows all your clever jokes and pick-up lines are completely stolen from dead twentieth century authors.
Desert Cat	+1 Perception	You know how to track in the desert. You spent years learning to read the line of sign. You adopted to the heat. The desert is your home. Of course the squad would relocate to the coldest place they could find. You've started acclimating, learning to read stride and transfer in snow, but still... fucking snow!?
Disciple Of The Metal	+15% Fire damage	The world burned in fire, and what was left was the Metal. Across the wasteland, Disciples like yourself were born to carry the song of Metal into battle. As the song falls upon them, the Metal transforms the wretched and powerful alike into howling furies, be they RAIDER! RANGER! MASTER! SLAAAAAVE!
Explodomaniac	+15% Explosive damage	Let’s be honest. You’re in the Rangers because you love bombs. If you could join an outfit with access to bigger ordnance, you’d be there. But the Rangers supply you with explosives and targets to blow up, so you can’t complain. They also tend to yell a lot, which is good, because you don’t hear so well anymore.
Goat Killer	+5% Critical chance Hidden effect Unlocks Monster Goat random encounter from level 15 onwards	Nobody believes you, but you know what you saw. A giant red goat, standing over your mother’s body, freaky golden eyes glittering in the night. Goats aren’t normal, just listen to ‘em! You’re going to kill every goat you can, draw out that Monster Goat, and this time, you’ll be ready. Bleat, bleat, motherfucker.
Grease Monkey	+10% Damage to Robots +10% Damage to Vehicles	There aren't many folks these days who can rebuild a transmission or put a refrigerator back together. Fortunately, you grew up in a machine shop.The Desert Rangers appreciate your skill and have taken good care of you. Maybe one day you can retire and build that ’86 Fiera you’ve always dreamed of. For now, you're okay with \"disassembling\" other punks' rides.
Lethal Weapon	+10% Melee damage	Old posters make it clear- the 1980s were a good time to be an out-of-control cop. They were taking out bad guys and they didn't care if they did it by the book. You don't either. You've been taking the fight to slavers and crime bosses without back-up since you joined the Desert Rangers. The only thing that would make it perfect is if someone called you a loose cannon.
Mannerite	+1 Kiss Ass	You grew up in Los Angeles, in the right part of town. You parents taught you culture, etiquette, and “refined taste”, as they liked to say. You’ve since adapted to life among the ruffians, curtailing almost all your sophisticated habits. But one habit you simply cannot break: wherever you go, you always make time to sample the local culture.
Moneybags	+1 Barter	Your family had money and a comfortable home. But comfort attracts attention, and some folks decided it was time for a redistribution. Your family was wiped out, but you escaped and found safety in the Rangers. Who knows? With a little luck, you may still end up comfortable after all.
Mopey Poet	+5% Evasion	Everyone looks back at their adolescence with embarrassment. Some wore ridiculous clothes; others were awful to their parents. Some believed that their personal sadness was unique and important enough to vomit into the pages of tiny leather journals that never did anything to anybody. Congratulations, you were all these things.
Paladin	+5M Leadership range +10% Crit resistance	People talk about shades of gray, but the brave see only black and white. You know right from wrong and you’ve got the conviction to do something about it. You’re going to bring some good back into this world if it kills you. At least you’ll know you filled a lot of graves with scumbags first.
Raider Hater	+10% Damage to Humans	You tried to like riding. Everyone else loved slitting throats and tormenting captives, but it just didn't work for you. When you left to join the Rangers, somehow the story got twisted, and now everyone thinks you used to be some kind of psycho marauder. You could set 'em stright... or you could just kill anybody who might remember otherwise.
Sex Machine	+0.2 Combat Speed	People hoard money, power. They kill each other, steal, all for one thing: getting laid. It’s biology. It’s the reason we do everything. You know it, you don’t hide it, and you do it better than anyone. We’re animals, and if we’re being honest, it feels good to be an animal.
Stoner	+10% Status effect resistance	The world is, like, super messed up, and people are hurting. So, the Rangers, are like, a really, really good thing for everyone. They just want to help people, you know? If everything is hellacious, just be chill, inside you, and then breathe it back out. For everyone. Cool.
The Boss	+1 Hard Ass	You’ve been told that you don’t consider people’s feelings. Unfortunately, THAT CRAP DIED A HUNDRED YEARS AGO IN A GODDAMN NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST. We’re not going to make it holdin’ hands and singing Kumbaya. If people want to survive, they’ve got to SHUT UP AND FOLLOW ORDERS.
Vicious Avenger	+2 Armor penetration	You didn't survive the slave pen because you were most clever. You didn't endure the lashes and heat because you were the strongest. You survived that hellhole because of your hate. Hate chocked your captors to death and hate set you free. And thanks to the Desert Rangers and their mission, you're putting that hate to good use.

Exclusive to start characters

Start pair	Name	Effect	Desc
Father & Daughter	Recluse	+0.2 Combat Speed	The Rangers were hesitant to allow the seemingly simple William to join, as he seems more interested in talking to animals than people. Fortunately, when faced with enemies he snaps and becomes an unstoppable killing machine - so that's a plus.
	Avenger	+10% Sneak attack damage	Li joined the Rangers with the understanding they would help her find her mother's killers, and that they would allow her to bring dad along on missions.
Mentor & Student	Old Hand	+5% Crit resistance	A booted and spurred cowpunk from LA's Little Iran, Dusty followed the Rangers to AZ to see how the real cowboys lived. Ten years older than Marie, she's the big sister of the pair, but if she's had a few too many, the relationship flips.
	Ex-Merc	+5% Experience bonus	Marie Hernandez grew up tinkering with old junk she could fix up and sell. She started her mercenary career building and maintaining security systems before falling in with Dusty.
Punk Lovers	Bruiser	+5% Melee damage	Years of soap eating never quite cleaned Bronco's foul mouth or improved his brutal disposition. Nothing makes him happier than smashing skulls and slinging insults. The only soft spot he has is for Kickboy, his partner for life.
	Wild Child	+5% Initiative	Tatted up and twitchy, Kickboy lives to send religious zealots and other haters to the hell he doesn't believe in. The only thing stopping him going full-blown psycho is knowing Bronco has his back.
Tech Heads	Cannoisseur	+1 Perception	A born introvert, Chris is a collector and number cruncher, enjoying the minutia and rarity of everything he sees. He loves high quality vintage toasters, which he will mercilessly haggle for.
	Techie	+10% Energy resistance +5% Energy damage	Uncomfortable with strangers, the only person she can crack nerd-jockes with is Chris. She loves the tingle of electricity as she works on high-tech machines.
Young Rangers	Warmonger	+5% Ranged damage	Yuri's father taught him the "Russian" way to hunt using heavy weaponry. Overkill isn't enough for Yuri in verbal or physical fights, and demonstrating his competitive spirit often gets him into trouble.
	Duelist	+3% Evasion	A cunning street kid who became a prize fighter. Her strategy and knowledge of anatomy from self-patching put her ahead of the game. When the Arizona crisis ended the fight game, she joined the Rangers.

Companion's Backgrounds

Companion	Background	Effect	Desc
Darius Kwon	Peacekeeper	+30% Initiative	Marshal Kwon is a tough, street-smart cop from Colorado Springs. Though the Marshals have a reputation as thugs and enforcers, Kwon - though he can handle himself in a fight - is more of a talker. He's deal-maker and fixer who solves problems through negotiation, and who can call in favors from people all over town, and on both sides of the law. Sometimes his solutions aren't strictly legal, and some end up lining his pockets, but as long as it makes city safer in the end he can live with himself.
Lucia Wesson	Gunslinger	+5% Strike rate	Lucia was born into one of the Hundred Families, the ruling elite of Colorado Springs. Her farther, a prominent supporter of the Patriarch, expected his children to excel at everything they did. Lucia embraced this perfectionism, and became one of the best shooters in all of Colorado Springs - though she hasn't actually been in battle yet. She has the manners and deportment of someone twice her age, but Lucia is still young, and has led a sheltered life, making her notions of the world somewhat naive and idealistic.
Jodie Bell	Car Nut	+1 Quick Slots	Before joining the Rangers, Jodie Bell was a fun-loving farmer's daughter in Arizona with a passion for cars and weakness for driving fast. When the family farm was threatened by drought and hungry Raiders after the fall of Ranger Citadel, she joined the Rangers. To her they were the best hope for saving Arizona - and her parents' way of life - from complete collapse. This is her first time leaving the desert, and she is wide-eyed with wonder at the austere beauty and bitter cold of Colorado.
Scotchmo	Hobo	+10% Status effect resistance	Scotchmo started drinking to forget after his wife died, and then forgot to stop. A legend among hobos and bartenders throughout the wastes, Scotchmo has an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and a tenuous grasp on reality. That doesn't stop him from being a demon with a shotgun and a cheerful traveling companion - as long as you don't mind him stealing every bottle you own.
Ironclad Cordite	Warlord	+4 Armor	The gang leader who would be a king. Former boss of a gang of savage body-modded slavers called the "Scar Collectors", he believes he is the rightful warlord of the tribes of the eastern wastes, and is one day fated to unite and rule them. Unfortunately, there have been many setbacks on the road to his destiny. Still, he is patient - believing these are the "twelve trials" that a prophet in his childhood told him he would have to overcome before he could take his throne. He believes that each one reveals a sacred truth to him, and the last will fulfill his destiny.
Fishlips	Scrapper	+40% Critical damage	Cannibalistic leader of the Hard-Heads, a scavenger gang who specialize in dismantling large machines and factories for iron and steel, Fish-Lips is a brutal thug who only respects power. If you're weaker than him, he'll kill you and eat you. If you're stronger than him, he'll follow you until you falter, then he'll kill you and eat you. It's always good to watch your back if Fish-Lips is in your party, because he's watching it too - and thinking about spare-ribs.
Victory Buchanan	Psychopath	+5% Critical chance
Pizepi Joren	Researcher	+25% Cold resistance +25% Energy resistance +25% Fire resistance

Recruit's Backgrounds

Recruit	Background	Effect	Desc
Axle	Technician	None	You could never stop tinkering. As a kid, it was curiosity. Later, financial reasons turned that interest toward armor - how to make it stronger, how to break it down. But now that Colorado is getting help from the Rangers maybe those skills could find a better home?
Banshee	Desert Cat	+1 Perception	You know how to track in the desert. You spent years learning to read the line of sign. You adopted to the heat. The desert is your home. Of course the squad would relocate to the coldest place they could find. You've started acclimating, learning to read stride and transfer in snow, but still... fucking snow!?
Bison Bill	Farmer	+1 CON per level	You grew up on a family farm just outside Colorado Springs. The work was hard enough without all the trouble in the area. When the Rangers arrived to help the Patriarch deal with unrest, the family understood that someone needed to join up and lend a hand.
Blackeye Betty	Bouncer	+10% Melee damage	You didn't have a plan for life, but genetics had a say. Some kids grow up scrawny and others grow up with meat mitts. Life might be a little easier for little Meat Mitts, but employment ins't the same as fulfillment. Now the Rangers... that might be a more worthwhile use of genetic talent.
Butterfly	Thief	+1.0s Detection time	You know that thievery is an under-appreciated skill. It kept a child from starving, it kept a teen in the good graces of dangerous people, and it could keep the Rangers from failing their mission in Colorado.
Crash	Hacker	+10% Damage to Robots	You're big into computers and not so big into robots. Robots are neat and funny when they're being clumsy, but they also tried to take over the world and killed a lot of people in the process. Some people hold that against them.
Danny Smiles	Con Artist	+5% Initiative	You talk fast and always have something to say. It's the speed, the quick thinking that keeps you sharp when you're on your own with no one to watch your back. But maybe the Rangers could use some of that quick thinking. It's good to be in a crew that looks out for each other.
Devlin	Nomad	None	You had people once - shy folk who hid from the world in irradiated valleys where they knew others would fear to tread. Eventually, mutation and madness claimed most. But a few resistant children survived. You are the last.
Doc Nails	Raider Hater	+10% Damage to Humans	You tried to like riding. Everyone else loved slitting throats and tormenting captives, but it just didn't work for you. When you left to join the Rangers, somehow the story got twisted, and now everyone thinks you used to be some kind of psycho marauder. You could set 'em stright... or you could just kill anybody who might remember otherwise.
Ice	Scout	+10% Sneak attack damage	You spent years leading parties across Colorado's harsh wilderness, getting into some pretty tough scrapes in the process. The rule of thumb when dealing with hostiles out in the wild: hit 'em first and hit 'em hard.
Preacher	Evangelical	+3M Leadership range	You grew up among the right faithful. People who don't see the world as forsaken, but purified. It's a powerful message, and spoken from authority, it could lift every man, woman, and child from their suffering.
Prof. Higgs	Academic	+10% Experience bonus	Knowledge is dying. Books molder, papers rot, and tapes demagnetize. A lifetime of study isn't enough to preserve that knowledge if the student gets taken with disease or killed in random violence. Only by joining a strong, honorable organization, like the Rangers, is there any hope of passing on the world's history.
Sasquatch	Drifter	+4 Armor	You've always been a drifter - wandering from job to job, staying just one step ahead of trouble, surviving, but never living. Now, however, there's trouble everywhere. So maybe it's time to stop running and start fighting to make things better. And maybe find a home when it's all over.
Shellshock	Vicious Avenger	+2 Armor penetration	You didn't survive the slave pen because you were most clever. You didn't endure the lashes and heat because you were the strongest. You survived that hellhole because of your hate. Hate chocked your captors to death and hate set you free. And thanks to the Desert Rangers and their mission, you're putting that hate to good use.
Thunder	Miner	+15% Explosive resistance	You're tougher than most. You get that way working mines, blasting tunnels all day. You maybe catch a little fly rock in the face, but you live with it. Tough is better than pretty in this world anyway. Miners are practical. If they asked for anything, it'd probably be for their hearing back.
Wolf	Mercenary	+10% Crit resistance	Mercenary work is excellent training for life in the Rangers. You learn patience, weapon maintenance, and how to make other people dead without getting dead yourself.
Zeus	Gearhead	+10% Damage to Vehicles	You can name every part of a vehicle, both on the outside and on the inside. That kind of specialized knowledge is bound to come in handy.