Feylost 5E Background | New Wild Beyond the Witchlight Option
The Witchlight is home to an extremely varied class of fey creatures. In Dungeons & Dragons 5E, this is where your fey characters will shine! Occasionally, someone might walk into the wrong portal and end up in the Feywild. So, in the Wild Beyond the Witchlight, you can finally have a non-custom background to represent your character’s insanity! Learn what this background is good at in our Feylost 5E Background guide!
Feylost 5E Background
Feylost characters were lost in the Feywild for some time. Rather than being torn to shreds or killed by insanity, they lived. And the Fey not only accept them, but consider them an honored guest at any court’s table. No matter what, however, these characters no longer have their old lives to return to. They are permanently changed, and it is up to their friends and family to pick them up… Or send them on their way.
Traits
To start, you get a few mechanical traits that boost your proficiencies and grant you some starting items.
- Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Survival
- Other Proficiencies: One Musical Instrument
- Known Language: Elvish, Gnomish, Goblin, or Sylvan
- Items: Musical Instrument, Traveler’s Clothes, Three Feywild Trinkets, 8 gp
A somewhat standard start. Deception and Survival is a cool combination that you don’t get to see on many backgrounds. A musical instrument is always fun, if not useful all the time. Elvish or Sylvan can come in handy for most campaigns, with Sylvan perhaps being a bit more useful for Witchlight campaigns. Finally, the items are solid, with 8 gp being a bit standard for Backgrounds. Overall, stellar starter kit.
Fey Mark
No matter how sturdy the mind, a Feylost does not come back unscathed. There’s always some sort of mark that the Fey leave behind. Below are 8 possible choices; you can roll for them, pick one, or come up with another of similar quality.
| d8 | Fey Mark |
| 1 | Your eyes swirl with iridescent colors. |
| 2 | You have a sweet scent, like honey or nectar. |
| 3 | You have whiskers, like a cat. |
| 4 | You grow fur over your ears. |
| 5 | Your skin naturally sparkles when exposed to the moon. |
| 6 | Flowers wilt or bloom in your presence. |
| 7 | Your hair is made of brambles or vines. It grows back 1 hour after being cut. |
| 8 | You have a tail. It can be like a dog or another animal. |
Feywild Visitor
While asleep, the Feywild sends spirits to a Feylost. The DM determines when the spirit comes, but the Feylost is encouraged to work with the DM on what form the spirit may take. The conversation between the two may last a minute or hours, and the conversation may be about anything. Thankfully, it will always be in a language that the Feylost can understand.
The Spirit may take the form of an Awakened Beast, a Centaur, a Dryad, a Faerie Dragon, a Pixie, a Satyr, a Sprite, or a Unicorn. In addition, DMs may help a Feylost come up with other options if wanted, such as a Fairy or Gnome with a particular connection to the Feywild.
Feature: Feywild Connection
Feylost are honored guests in the Feywild, and they are sure not to bring their guest to harm. Friendly Fey creatures tend to help you instead of harm you. In the Feywild, you will obtain their help consistently, which can make the insane plane much easier to process and work through.
Suggested Characteristics
The Feylost does not have characteristics unique to it. However, many fey creatures in the Witchlight tend to have a similar list of priorities. Including…
Personality Traits
| d8 | Trait |
| 1 | I constantly hear laughter in my head, causing me to lose track of conversations. At least it helps me smile! |
| 2 | I can’t settle in a place for very long; the wind carries me! |
| 3 | Good music makes me weep like a baby. |
| 4 | I will always bring the warmth and tranquility of home with me. |
| 5 | I have the same imagination and curiosity that I did as a child. |
| 6 | New ideas make me super excited… But not as excited as the next idea! |
| 7 | My own set of ethics and rules guide my hand. |
| 8 | Adults are spooky; I can’t bring myself to trust them. |
Ideals
| d8 | Ideal |
| 1 | Friendship (Good). Never leave a friend behind. |
| 2 | Empathy (Good). Suffering is an unnecessary evil. |
| 3 | Wonderlust (Chaotic). The less-traveled path is mine. |
| 4 | Changeability (Chaotic). Adapting to every situation is important. Including adapting my rule set to whatever works. |
| 5 | Honor (Lawful). A deal is a deal. You don’t break those. |
| 6 | Rule of Three (Lawful). Everything is a rule of three. Everything happens in threes. |
| 7 | Obsession (Evil). I don’t let go of grudges. |
| 8 | Greed (Evil). I get what I want. That’s just what happens. |
Bonds
| d8 | Bonds |
| 1 | My word is sacred to me. |
| 2 | Magic is essential to the growth of the world and myself. |
| 3 | Nature is worth protecting at all costs. |
| 4 | A trusted friend is more important than the whole multiverse. |
| 5 | Fey creatures are to be respected, feared, or befriended. |
| 6 | The Witchlight Carnival is my home. |
| 7 | The Feywild was absolutely astonishing… If only I may return someday. |
| 8 | Mister Witch and Mister Light gave me a home. I must give something back. |
Flaws
| d8 | Flaws |
| 1 | Time is a myth; one that gets me in trouble a lot. |
| 2 | All eyes in the multiverse are on me. |
| 3 | Everything must be on schedule, with deadlines. No ifs, ands, or buts. |
| 4 | A brief spat of Kleptomania never hurt anybody… |
| 5 | My mind wanders as much as I do, and I often forget simple things. |
| 6 | I will always expect something in return for my gifts. |
| 7 | I have vices, sure, but vices are made to be indulged. |
| 8 | My mind changes constantly. Usually? Constantly. |
Is the Feylost Background Good?
Playing as a Feylost has a lot of potential from a thematic standpoint. However, this is one of those backgrounds that requires DM buy-in to use. Sure, it’s cool to be favored by the fey spirits while in the land of the fairies – but what does that mean to you? In many campaigns, the most interesting parts of this background are simply never getting used.
What’s more, the Feylost 5E background is not limited to the Feywild. That said, it is also not particularly useful elsewhere. The connection to the fey realm doesn’t mean much if you are playing a Spelljammer campaign, for instance. This background is fun, but it is also very niche. Whether or not it is “good” is really in the eye of the beholder.
Wrapping Up Our Feylost 5E Guide
That’s it for our Feylost 5E Guide. The Feylost may feel at home in the new Wild Beyond the Witchlight, but that doesn’t mean they have to stay there. The Feywild can catch anyone off-guard! This background is great for any character in any campaign, especially for the new racial options like the Harengon. Be sure to talk to your DM to see if you can use this fun background.
