The Dungeons and Dragons: Mythic Odysseys of Theros book is out now on DnD Beyond and players who aren't waiting for the physical version to ship in July have already started reading through the new campaign setting sourcebook to start planning their Theros campaigns and characters. There are a ton of new ways to customize characters, including a very flavorful new background option.

The Mythic Odysseys of Theros book has a great chapter on creating characters for the Magic: The Gathering-inspired setting including two new subclasses, a guide to the races of Theros, Divine Gifts, and a guide to customizing the existing Dungeons and Dragons backgrounds for the Theros setting. In addition to the tips on tweaking the existing backgrounds, there is also the brand-new Athlete background that has been added to D&D 5e.

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For those who may be creating their first Dungeons and Dragons characters, backgrounds are selected during character creation. These options are meant to help inspire backstory and give some more history to your characters. For example, a character who selects the Folk Hero background is often going to come up with a story about what sort of evil force or monster they saved their hometown from and why they are on the road and traveling now. In addition to the added benefits for RP and character history, the backgrounds also offer very helpful skill and tool proficiencies, special features, and other benefits that characters can put to use throughout a campaign.

DnD Oath of Glory Paladin

What is the Athlete Background?

"You strive to perfect yourself physically and in execution of everything you do. The thrill of competition lights fire in your blood, and the roar of the crowd drives you forward. Tales of your exploits precede you and might open doors or loosen tongues.

Whether in one of the poleis, between them, or among the nonhuman peoples of Theros, physical contests and those who pursue them command respect bordering on reverence. Athletes arise from all walks of life and all cultures and quite often cross paths with one another."

Athletes are a big part of Greek mythology, which Theros is largely inspired by, so this background feels like a very appropriate fit for the new back settings. Obviously it's going to feel a bit more like a fit for classes like Fighter, Barbarian, or Ranger than something like a Wizard or a Cleric; but a creative role-player could use it with any race and class with a bit of imagination.

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What is the Athlete Background Feature?

The Athlete feature is a fairly social one and is similar to the Folk Hero or Entertainer. Athletes gain access to Echoes of Victory and are likely to find fans and admirers as long as they are within 100 miles of where they grew up and completed. This ability can be used pretty creatively to earn free room and board or favor with locals throughout the land.

In addition, the Echoes of Victory feature also allows Athletes to complete in events during downtime to maintain a comfortable style of living, using the Practicing a Profession rules from the D&D Player's Handbook.

mythic odyssey of theros covers

What extra equipment does an Athlete start with?

Don't expect to be too rich based on your past performances, but there is a pretty decent starting package setup for Athletes. Players who select this background start off with a bronze discus or leather ball, a lucky charm or past trophy, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp.

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What skill and tool Proficiencies does an Athlete acquire?

As players might expect, the Athlete is going to be proficient with Acrobratics and Athletics. These are very helpful skills and combined with the social benefits of the Echoes of Victory feature already seem like the background of a pretty powerful low level character.

In addition to those skills, the Athlete is also proficient in Land Vehicles. This could make sense in any setting, but is likely to inspire imagery of chariot competitions in the world Theros.

Do Athletes know any extra languages?

Nothing too exciting or overpowered here, but the Athlete does get to pick up one language of their choice. As always, check with your DM to make sure your selection lines up with the campaign they have planned and is both logical and will eventually be useful.

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Can I use this background outside of Theros campaigns?

The magic of Dungeons and Dragons is you can basically do anything that your dungeon master agrees makes sense in their current campaign. Assuming the DM approves this background, there's no reason that you can't work together to come up with a compelling story about why the Athlete exists in The Forgotten Realms, Wildemount, or any other D&D setting.

Is this background available on DnD Beyond?

Yes, but your dungeon master will have to allow Magic: The Gathering content for the campaign. Also, you'll either need to own the Mythic Odysseys of Theros or your DM will have to digitally own the book and have content sharing turned on for the campaign.

Be sure to check back in the near future for more Dungeons and Dragons news, updates, and strategy guides. Until then, roll well, adventurers!

Dungeons and Dragons: Mythic Odysseys of Theros is now available on DnD Beyond. The physical edition has been delayed to July 21.

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