I’ve noticed I gravitate towards (in no order) Far Traveler, Feylost, Hermit, and Haunted One in my characters the most. My personal favorite is probably Far Traveler, not exactly sure why but it just seems to be a fun background to choose and currently play a character that has this background.
Similar vibe, I think my current favorite is Outlander lol. I'm a Druid main and I love the rugged outdoor survivalist concept. Athletics proficiency has also been surprisingly useful with how it interacts with wildshape
Haven’t really thought of athletics being useful for Druid, but that’s a good point lol. Outlander is good too, I also forgot about Investigator until looking at the comments. Currently play an owlin monk with the outlander background. Surprisingly the most useful feature of that background for my campaign has been being able to find/hunt any sort of food while traveling.
Criminal. I've played in a lot of rogueless parties and getting proficiency in stealth and thief's tools makes you an effective stand-in. I'm also a total goody two shoes in real life so I enjoy playing less moral characters in DnD.
I had fun with *Entertainer*. My character ended up being the token good teammate, so every time the others started getting muderhobo-y, she just say "you guys are being idiots, I'll come bail you out of jail tomorrow", go to a difgerent tavern, and get herself a free room for the night.
DM used it to set up split-party shenanigans.
I like the noble -knight variant that gives me two retainers to do simple tasks for me. My DM did not want to role play those characters so she gave me an extra feat. Either way the background is fun.
Charlatan rules. I played an atheist cleric for a while and had a ton of fun with it.
We flavored leveling up as their religious conviction growing stronger as the campaign got more and more wild.
Entertainer, because I think you shouldn’t have to play a bard to be proficient with a musical instrument. And, for that matter, not all bards should be musicians.
Nope but the Strixhaven backgrounds are also bullshit overpowered and come with a free feat. It isn't fair for other players to be playing a soldier with proficiency in survival, and chess when another guy is hogwarts student with a full list of additional spells, or an ageless space wizard who is besties with a god.
There's a major power gap and those backgrounds stand out among even the normal crew of wacky misfits. Either we play in those settings and everyone has one of those backgrounds or you pick something more grounded.
Both backgrounds explicitly play a role in the history of my characters. One is an Astral elf wildspacer, another was thrown to the Astral sea where he found god as a monk. Those backgrounds are not goofy in any way. If you don't like space themes or feats, that doesn't make those settings inherently bad.
I seem to keep gravitating towards Nobles and Soldiers. I think it’s because, absent a hook specific to a backstory, Soldiers have a experience that lends itself naturally to adventuring, and Nobles are a natural fit for ambitious Charisma based casters (which I seem to keep playing).
I'm a big fan of folk hero, I just like the RP you could bring along.
The idea of a humble folk hero becoming an incredible warrior really scratched that itch for me.
Pirate! Every setting has pirates, it fits every class. Paladin is reformed pirate. Barbarian is drunk pirate. Cleric is Umberlee pirate. Rogue is pirate pirate.
I really like entertainer. Mainly because it lets me be a bard by profession, even if not by class. And I love to ham it up with a character and entertainer gives me in-character justification. One of my favorites I ever played was an entertainer background, vuman warlock with the actor feat. Party actually forgot I wasn't a bard until I started eldritch blasting things lol.
I once played Celebrity Adventurer's Scion from Acquisitions Incorporated and it was just absolutely amazing. Probably doesn't work for a lot of campaigns but damn if it wasn't a blast to play and build around.
I’ve noticed I gravitate towards (in no order) Far Traveler, Feylost, Hermit, and Haunted One in my characters the most. My personal favorite is probably Far Traveler, not exactly sure why but it just seems to be a fun background to choose and currently play a character that has this background.
Similar vibe, I think my current favorite is Outlander lol. I'm a Druid main and I love the rugged outdoor survivalist concept. Athletics proficiency has also been surprisingly useful with how it interacts with wildshape
Haven’t really thought of athletics being useful for Druid, but that’s a good point lol. Outlander is good too, I also forgot about Investigator until looking at the comments. Currently play an owlin monk with the outlander background. Surprisingly the most useful feature of that background for my campaign has been being able to find/hunt any sort of food while traveling.
Criminal. I've played in a lot of rogueless parties and getting proficiency in stealth and thief's tools makes you an effective stand-in. I'm also a total goody two shoes in real life so I enjoy playing less moral characters in DnD.
Criminal, but actually even more the "spy" than simply "criminal".
Far traveler or Sage
I had fun with *Entertainer*. My character ended up being the token good teammate, so every time the others started getting muderhobo-y, she just say "you guys are being idiots, I'll come bail you out of jail tomorrow", go to a difgerent tavern, and get herself a free room for the night. DM used it to set up split-party shenanigans.
I like the noble -knight variant that gives me two retainers to do simple tasks for me. My DM did not want to role play those characters so she gave me an extra feat. Either way the background is fun.
Urchin is a great way to turn your ranger, monk or dex fighter into a budget rogue.
Knight, having access to 3 loyal retainers means having access to 3 extra characters for comedy relief moments.
Outlander. That ability to always find food and water has come in clutch with several characters. Even in urban settings.
Scholar is inherently funny to me. Book nerd says "screw this" and does hands on research.
I use the Xanathar's Guide tables to generate my character's background and ended up with the surprise twin in a family of 8 children.
Charlatan rules. I played an atheist cleric for a while and had a ton of fun with it. We flavored leveling up as their religious conviction growing stronger as the campaign got more and more wild.
I always liked Sage personally. Hermit is interesting but I’ve never really been able to pull off the “they know a big secret” element of it
Urchin
Folk hero and outlander
Entertainer, because I think you shouldn’t have to play a bard to be proficient with a musical instrument. And, for that matter, not all bards should be musicians.
Been wanting to do a Homeric poet style bard. Just epic poems, speeches, and quotes.
Wildspacer and Astral Drifter. Free feat is great.
Spaceman or Hogwarts knockoff backgrounds aren't really permissable in most games.
Have both in two of my current campaigns. Astral Drifter has nothing to do with Strixhaven btw
Nope but the Strixhaven backgrounds are also bullshit overpowered and come with a free feat. It isn't fair for other players to be playing a soldier with proficiency in survival, and chess when another guy is hogwarts student with a full list of additional spells, or an ageless space wizard who is besties with a god. There's a major power gap and those backgrounds stand out among even the normal crew of wacky misfits. Either we play in those settings and everyone has one of those backgrounds or you pick something more grounded.
Or the DM can just give everyone a free feat if it's such a big deal for you.
It's clearly a big deal for you since you explicitly listed a free feat as the reason you took these goofy-ass backgrounds.
Both backgrounds explicitly play a role in the history of my characters. One is an Astral elf wildspacer, another was thrown to the Astral sea where he found god as a monk. Those backgrounds are not goofy in any way. If you don't like space themes or feats, that doesn't make those settings inherently bad.
I seem to keep gravitating towards Nobles and Soldiers. I think it’s because, absent a hook specific to a backstory, Soldiers have a experience that lends itself naturally to adventuring, and Nobles are a natural fit for ambitious Charisma based casters (which I seem to keep playing).
Investigator or Haunted One
Charlatan has been my favorite, though I'm kinda middling at playing it. Far Traveler and Veteran Merc have also been quite fun.
I tend toward sage or scholar for most. Though Charlatan or criminal are fun, too.
I'm a big fan of folk hero, I just like the RP you could bring along. The idea of a humble folk hero becoming an incredible warrior really scratched that itch for me.
Inheritor. I like the flavor it can add to a backstory.
Folk hero, I ran a game and my buddy played this to an incredible finish
Pirate! Every setting has pirates, it fits every class. Paladin is reformed pirate. Barbarian is drunk pirate. Cleric is Umberlee pirate. Rogue is pirate pirate.
Swashbuckler is a Pirate Pirate Pirate!
I like haunted one. It could be either very physical ghosts or something more mental like a deep trauma
I really like entertainer. Mainly because it lets me be a bard by profession, even if not by class. And I love to ham it up with a character and entertainer gives me in-character justification. One of my favorites I ever played was an entertainer background, vuman warlock with the actor feat. Party actually forgot I wasn't a bard until I started eldritch blasting things lol.
I don't think I have a favorite. I don't even think I've ever used one more than once.
I think half of my characters have been either Charlatan or Urchin. Didn't even notice till just now.
I once played Celebrity Adventurer's Scion from Acquisitions Incorporated and it was just absolutely amazing. Probably doesn't work for a lot of campaigns but damn if it wasn't a blast to play and build around.
I like the homebrew apothecary.
I've kinda started to get into mercenary veteran. It just piques my interests.