DnD 5e Backgrounds

Guide 5e Background Guide

Published on December 26, 2024, Last modified on December 28th, 2024

Explore which D&D classes work best with the Guide background and how it can help your stealthy, nature-focused characters excel!

A merfolk Ranger explores a subterranean cave.

Chris Rallis - Wizards of the Coast - Adriana, Captain of the Guard

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What Is the Guide Background in D&D?

The Guide is a DnD 5e background for characters who have spent their lives exploring the wilderness. Whether you guided adventurers, foraged for food, or mapped unexplored regions, this background reflects your survival skills and connection to the natural world. It’s an excellent pick for characters who thrive in untamed environments and want to bring that expertise to their adventuring party.

How Does the Guide Background Work?

The Guide background offers the following features:

  • Ability Scores: Receive a +2 bonus to one ability and +1 to another, or a +1 bonus to all three: Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom.
  • Feat: Magic Initiate (Druid). This feat lets you learn two cantrips and one level 1 spell from the Druid spell list.
  • Skill Proficiencies: Stealth and Survival.
  • Tool Proficiency: Cartographer’s Tools.
  • Equipment:
    • Option A: Shortbow, 20 arrows, Cartographer’s Tools, bedroll, quiver, tent, traveler’s clothes, and 3 GP.
    • Option B: 50 GP for a more customizable loadout.

Let’s break down the benefits:

Ability Scores: This distribution is an amazing start for certain builds. A Dexterity and Constitution boost is perfect for martial builds using prioritize Ranged or Finesse weapons. A Wisdom bonus supports Wisdom-based casters and Monks, who can also pump their Dexterity for AC or Constitution for Hit Points.

Magic Initiate (Druid) Feat: This feat allows you to expand your spellcasting repertoire. Guidance is a great choice for your cantrip that provides consistent bonuses to ability checks, and Starry Wisps, a new cantrip in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, is a great way to access Radiant damage. Or, some builds, like Wisdom-focused Rangers, will love to pick up Shillelagh to transform their melee weapon into a Wisdom-based option. For your level 1 spell, Entangle or Cure Wounds are excellent choices that offer battlefield control or healing.

Stealth and Survival Proficiencies: These skills are fantastic for characters who love outdoor adventuring. Stealth lets you avoid enemies, set ambushes, or sneak into dangerous locations. Survival ensures you can track creatures, forage for food, and navigate the wilderness without issue.

Cartographer’s Tools: In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, tools and mundane items have each been given mechanical value. Cartographer’s Tools allow you to craft a Map of the surrounding area, which gives you a +5 to Wisdom (Survival) checks, making it a situationally useful for anyone who will be leading their party on an expedition.

What Type of Character is the Guide Background For?

For Druids, Monks, Rangers, and even Rogues or Clerics, the Guide background provides a variety of valuable benefits. Dexterity improves your Ranged or Finesse weapon attacks, boosts your AC, and increases your stealthiness. Constitution keeps you on your feet during long battles, while Wisdom is vital for spellcasting Druid, Clerics, and Rangers, improving your spell save DC and healing abilities.

The Magic Initiate (Druid) feat gives you access to useful Druid cantrips and a level 1 spell, perfect for a Monk, Ranger, or Rogue looking for some extra utility or crowd control or a Cleric looking to Entangle their foes. Stealth and Survival proficiencies align well with Druids, Monks, Rangers, and Rogues, ensuring you can navigate the wilderness and sneak past enemies undetected.

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of the Guide Background?

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good the Guide 5e background is for a specific class/subclass.

  • Red : Isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
  • Orange : Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
  • Green : A good option
  • Blue : A great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
  • Sky Blue: An amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Artificer: Without a Intelligence boost, there's not much here for an Artificer.

Barbarian: Without a Strength boost, there's not much here for a Barbarian.

Bard: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Bard.

Cleric: You can boost Wisdom, Constitution, pick up some some extra spells from the Magic Initiate (Druid) feat, all of which are excellent for Clerics.

Druid: Easily one of the best backgrounds for Druids. You can boost Wisdom, Constitution, pick up some some extra spells from the Magic Initiate (Druid) feat, and grab proficiencies in Stealth and Survival.

Fighter: A solid choice for Dexterity-based Fighters, but make sure the Druid spells you pick up don't requires a spellcasting modifier to be effective, like Guidance, Absorb Elements, or Goodberry.

Monk: You can boost Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom by 1, so if you're doing point buy, you can start with +3 in all of your main ability scores. You can also grab Stealth, which is great for Monks, and some spells from the Magic Initiate (Druid) feat. Seeing as you'll have a decent Wisdom score, this could be a good opportunity to pick up ranged attacks, like Starry Wisp, battlefield control, like Entangle, or healing options, like Cure Wounds and Healing Word.

Paladin: Without a Strength or Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Paladin.

Ranger: Easily one of the best backgrounds for Rangers. You can boost Wisdom, Constitution, pick up some some extra spells from the Magic Initiate (Druid) feat, and grab proficiencies in Stealth and Survival.

Rogue: An incredible background for Rogues, who get to boost their Dexterity and Constitution, grab a proficiency in Stealth, and pick up some useful spells from the Magic Initiate (Druid) feat.

Sorcerer: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Sorcerer.

Warlock: Without a Charisma boost, there's not much here for a Warlock.

Wizard: Without an Intelligence boost, there's not much here for a Wizard.

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Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Adamantine best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.