Backstories

[legomaster00156]

I suck at making character backstories. I really do. I always prefer to leap into the fray with my characters, with only a small idea of what they were before adventuring, and make things up from there. I would like to know if I'm alone in this sentiment.

[Devmaar]

I totally agree. I can come up with ideas for characters easily but as I'm a poor writer, I generally prefer to let the personality show in play, rather than writing it up before hand. As for background, I'll usually have a general idea of the character's past but I'll usually be completely unable to write a cohesive narrative of it.

[vrigar]

As a player I always enjoyed creating back stories but that's the frustrated writer trying to take over.
As a DM what was important to me is less the story and more the character description. Especially going into long adventures with little option for character turnaround you want to make sure the PCs can work together well. A few short descriptive sentences will usually do.

[DemonRoach]

I suck at making character backstories. I really do. I always prefer to leap into the fray with my characters, with only a small idea of what they were before adventuring, and make things up from there. I would like to know if I'm alone in this sentiment.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I do, with things getting back filled as required (Usually for instant character links when PC's die/leave and get replaced).

[Crasical]

I don't write complicated character backstories, but I try and make the basic gist I do write up for them interesting, at least. And then become absolutely neurotic about whether the backstory is offensive, oversexualized, details too many other locales or provides too many benefits to the character, fits the tone of the campaign, ect. ect.

[That_guy_there]

I'm the opposite. I love getting into my character's usally from childhood to a few months before adventuring. I can't help it, it gives me the ability to better play the character. Of course I usually strop a liottle before adventuring so that i can drop him into the campaign (since 2 out of three DMs i game with on a regular bassis don't give us backstory to the world before hand).

I have, on occasion gone without a back story at all, but then the character tends to become a warped embodiment of whatever the PCs need most. I had a CG 2handed Charger without a backstory, and over the course of a few sessions he morphed from the guy who roared, charged and was the first to attack whatever we encountered to the guy who now tries to reason and talk with the non-evil things we encounter. He has basically become a negotiator in a party with a monk and an oracle.... but i have no idea why he'd do those things. (other than thats what the Party needed)

[drack]

Hmm, I will:
first: Form basic mechanics with a basic personality trate or two
second: figure out more mechanics (if it's a wizard are they someone who devotes themselves to "true magics" considering something superior? A summoner, illusionist? If they're a fighter do they grapple, sneak attack, shoot arrows? And elaborate that personality a bit to match it.
Third: In either order, do sheet, and write up a story about some major event in the character's life that shaped those key elements of their personality in that way, and made them who they are today. It gives DMs a better feel for the character, and acts more as an interesting story then as a list of character traits, and I find it's much more fun when you can read fun stories and get a feel for your allies before you begin, but maybe that's just the part of me that likes to read. :smalltongue:

[Slipperychicken]

I give my characters a rough outline of their lives leading up the adventure (he lived here, job, important life event, decided to go adventuring), plus a few sentences about their goals and interests. I might write a few names for a family if it seems important.


I know what you mean. I usually just want to start playing the game, without writing a novel about Jason the Fighter.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

For me I come up with a character concept: class, race, etc. generally while I do this, a backstory slowly forms in my mind: why does this character use this weapon, have this feat... Why does he cast spells instead of fight in combat or vice versa.

I won't write the character on a character sheet unless he is fully fleshed out, both mechanically and fluff wise.

For example: right now I'm building a glaive wielding ranger/Shadowdancer with low charisma. All I know right now is that he is a mercenary/bounty hunter/ (maybe) assassin. Until he is fleshed out with a childhood up to current backstory, plus motivations and some kind of emotional attachment (family, lover, mentor, etc) and reasons for alignment (not evil) he isn't getting written out... Even though I'd love to use him in the game I have tomorrow.

EDIT: I usually have about one side (hand written, I write somewhat small) college ruled paper for backstory... Sometimes a bit less, occasionally more.

[Novawurmson]

My players and my friends that I play with do this. Only recently did I sit down with the Rogue in my party and hash out her backstory. She's been playing this character for a year, from level 1-12.

As a player, I always work out a good bit about my character beforehand and talk with my DM about it. He feels the same way about backstory and goes crazy when the Druid tells him "Oh, I was raised by wolves. The end."

[eggs]

I used to do the big elaborate backstory with plothooks to cling onto, but it just felt silly in D&D: a few bad rolls mean introducing a new character with another big elaborate backstory and more plothooks; more than one sequence of bad rolls and the whole idea just starts to be a huge pain in the ass for everyone involved.

So yeah, I agree: starting with a one-line character pitch and filling in the details as we go is just easier, more fun and sets off fewer weirdly-obsessed-nerd flags.

[rexreg]

if a new campaign is starting...
1. creating a new character can be a labour of love...it can take weeks...
2. our DM's (myself included) will bribe players into coming up w/ solid backstories by offering extra skills or a Feat tied into that backstory...
3. during the 1st level of play backgrounds are somewhat fluid; details may be changed w/ DM's permission if those details have not yet affected the game...

if a character is being inserted mid-campaign oftentimes the character is based more on what the party needs (as a previous poster mentioned) & backgrounds can be somewhat slim & built-up through gameplay

[Tyndmyr]

I suck at making character backstories. I really do. I always prefer to leap into the fray with my characters, with only a small idea of what they were before adventuring, and make things up from there. I would like to know if I'm alone in this sentiment.

I'll usually have a single line describing my motivation for the initial adventure. That's all that's necessary, generally.

[LibraryOgre]

The Mod Wonder: Closed as duplicate thread.