Had one player planning on writing a book about his character... an assassination attempt gone wrong, seeking a lost artifact, finding a lost city, an encounter with a dragon, Surviving a shipwreck and dragon turtle... all before starting as a level 1 character. Loved the creativity, but I found the best character stories happen at the table. As a dm who builds out the world for his PCs that was a big haul for one player.
I think a good backstory can be phrased into one hooking sentence. A computer game my campaign is based on has some good examples: A gladiator who killed his master when the latter broke the promise to free him. A battle mage whose final exam turned out to be an attempt of assassination from his mentor. A Dark Elf who stepped on a path to redemption when he fell in love with a Wood Elf. A Wood Elf who stepped on a path of depravation when she fell in love with a Dark Elf. A vampiress who partially broke her curse and is now trying to redeem herself, living as a noble knight during the day, but turning into a beast at night. A dwarf, the last of his kind, yet with mostly lost memories.
At my table we do a thing called the "Burn Notice" or "Incredible Hulk" rule of character backstories. Basically, back in 2007 or so there was a show on TV called "Burn Notice" about an American spy who gets "burned" (a combination of fired, blackballed, and doxxed) and ends up using his talents to help people while trying to clear his name with the help of some old friends and contacts in the city of Miami. Now, the thing about that show was that each episode opened with an intro with the main character giving the short "My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy, until..."-monologue that explained basically all that a first-time watcher needed to know (The character and premise, where they are now and how they got there, connection to other characters, wants/desires/goals ect.) all in under a minute. Same with the "Incredible Hulk" show from the eighties: The short intro summarizes all you need to know about the character. So instead of writing a full multi-page character backstory, I have players "pitch" me a character, then write a short "Burn Notice"-style intro for them.
*A Vampire that feels sick and weak at just the **_sight_** of blood.* That would be fun to role-play! Awesome powers that go to shit as soon as the swords and arrows get used in ernest. 🤣
I got into RPGs in college, playing almost exclusively under one GM. I probably created nearly 20 characters for games he ran, and after the first few he told me that I was one of the few people he'd ever ran for that had total freedom to create whatever I want, dipping into whatever obscure expansion/home brew stuff I felt like (he typically kept it to the core rulebook so that he didn't have to go learning all these things about bizarre races and classes and feats and everything). Sometimes he'd even give me extra feats or class abilities (either from a higher level or borrowed from another class entirely) if it made the character more complete. He might have said no to me maybe once in our years of playing together. The reason I was given this freedom? Because I built characters not to be powerful, but to be flawed. I created backstories that one friend described as "just tossing plot hooks to the GM". And most of all because I created characters that had a reason to go out and join up with a group of strangers to risk their lives in pursuit of... something. And that's the key, as you explain here. Make a character that is going to choose to go on adventures with the group, and as much as possible give the GM/DM some free worldbuilding. Creating a cool setting and awesome drama is the role of ALL OF US, both at the table and before we even sit down. These days, now that everyone has learned the power of a great Session Zero, I show up as a completely blank slate. I listen as the DM and other players start laying out their ideas and when something excites me I jump on it to build a character that fits THEIR story. Best of all is if I can find a way to be the bridge between different PCs. Recently a friend was talking about a concept he had for playing a character with a catastrophic brain injury that left him a hulking brute who could only communicate with one person. I immediately jumped up to say "that's me! I'm going to play a bard that's your wife." Great video, Professor.
One of my players came up with an interesting take on the tragic backstory trope. though her character lost almost everything, her village and monastery burned to the ground, her friends slaughtered, her family executed by the inquisition, and has an inferiority complex, but she still decided to become a kind empathetic pacifist and believing in peace among people , driven by the fact that her sister might still be alive out there in the world. Being one of the more powerful characters she holds back a lot in combat due to her personality. Though recently, realistically due to the pent up trauma and the near death of her best friend and right after the near death of her lover she finally snapped and killed a guy in an admirable brutal fashion by controlling water to drown him from the inside. Character development amirite.
I think DCC's Funnel process is ingenious in this regard--it can create "organic" bonds between players and a more grounded backstory. Of course, the player still needs to decide why that crew of shepherds decided to check out that strange cave . . . but the reasons are quite simple and believable, fortune and glory, kid.
That's how I started my DCC campaign. At the most, the surviving PCs have a one-sentence backstory. What makes them interesting is the 4+ years of adventures they have had.
My backstory shortcuts are "you owe someone a chunk of cash: who and why?" and / or "you were headhunted for this job - how did they track you down?" In both cases, the answer solidly links them to the world and the game.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Exactly, who wants input from the filthy players. I mean they think it's their game when we all know it's the DMs game and they are just there to let the DM play.
@@rustybollocks3827 That's … not a healthy view of things. The DM is the hardest working player at the table, that's undeniable. But even with the superhero fantasy D&D has become, the game is the story of how the characters *become* great, not why they already are. It's why Ripley is a supreme badass and Captain Marvel isn't. One of these characters had to become supremely badass, the other one was completely flat and never permitted to have a flaw or anything to strive to overcome. The 8 page backstory cliche is someone who wants to be Brie Larson, acting out a character who is already a god at level 1. If you watched Critical Role, compare to Vox Machina's Percy. A nobleman born to a wealthy and privileged family. All of that was taken from him, and he wanted vengeance. Slowly he became an increasingly scary-ass motherf**ker serving a dark master he slowly empowered with the souls of those he killed. How epic was it when they killed the Briarwoods? Or when he forgave Ripley, but was nonetheless determined to stop her and Orthax? A good game backstory is one the player and DM fill in over the course of the campaign.
@@knghtbrd I don't really care to watch professionals with a script "play" D&D. That is as real as any "reality" TV. So it's like I said who cares what the player wants, it's not their game. As long as you agree that's fine. I just have the weird idea as the DM to allow my players input into their characters. I guess I've been spoiled to not have players like you folks have. I guess I have been doing it wrong all along.
@@rustybollocks3827 I didn't see anyone saying you are playing wrong. If anything it is YOU telling them they are playing wrong. They are saying you have a background but it shouldn't be some campaign long background when you have ZERO EXPERIENCE. Besides... Backgrounds are for the individuals. The guy playing next to you could honestly care less about your background and you his.
One of my favorite characters to play was a tabaxi that hit the streets when his dad (a follower of Wael, because cat people) was killed by a beholder on their way to meet his mom in a new town. He was too young to know where she was and started stealing (and got GOOD at it) to eat. Then he "found" a strange coin (trinket table roll) that drew him to the far north. . . Which is where he met the party. . . The DM ran with the coin, making it cursed, the key to unleash an ancient Yuan-ti army on the world, and the catalyst for the 3rd act war arc of the campaign.
I think a big issue that people run into is conflating long backstories with complex backstories. The most complicated character I ever played was a rogue (arcane trickster) who grew up on the streets because he was trying to support his mother and sister who was trying to become a wizard. He had a major inferiority complex and a feeling of unworthiness at the start, and his flaw was that he had to 'steal' magic from other people in the party because he couldn't learn it on his own. Over the course of the campaign he got revenge on the thieves guild that had been exploiting him, got imprisoned for a crime he had committed in the backstory and had to be helped by the party, surpassed his sister as a mage, fixed his relationship with his family, found true love with a one line character from his backstory, and went from universally hated by everyone in the party to loved so much that everyone pretty much made it their sole goal for him to survive the adventure. His backstory was less than a page.
My problems with backstories start when the player thinks they are getting special stuff because “It’s in the backstory!”. Working on a points system so players can buy into these things, but there is a limit.
Geezer here... I use homebrew, characters expecting something from their "backstory" must expend a feat. Congrats kid. Depending on what that is, determines what they get. Raised by pirates? Think yer going to know how to swim and some other things. Gaming on.
you might take a look at GURPS for inspiration, it's a point-buy system with lots of mental, social and physical (and supernatural) traits to buy. you'll find patrons that give stuff to the pc, allies, military rank, social status, appearance and wealth(even debt), all with point values, for exemple. Great source of inspiration. they're all in the secondary characteristics and advantage/disadvantage sections.
If you're looking at mechanics for all of this, take a look at the Level Up Advanced 5e Adventurer's Guide. They have rules for Heritage (race), Culture (childhood upbringing, e.g. you can be an elf raised by gnomes or a dwarf who grew up in the circus), Background (more or less same as vanilla 5e--what was your vocation or situation before becoming an adventuring Class), and Destiny (your PC's overriding goal: Wealth, Revenge, World or merely Kingdom Domination, etc.). They claim to be completely compatible with base 5e, which I'm not sure I totally agree with, but they definitely have good ideas worth looking at.
that sounds like a great opportunity to motivate them by starting the campaign with them having lost all that stuff. They've already told you they care about it so 1. they'll really want to get it back and 2. they'll feel very excited when they finally achieve that. I say give them whatever they want and then make them work for it. Just be honest from the start and announce that they will all start with basic equipment
I like to write long backstories, one was almost 3000 words as I was really enjoying writing it as a first person POV short story, but I ALWAYS put a bulletized summary at the top. I put the key places, bonds, connections, and motivations that are necessary to develop encounters right at the top, and make sure to keep it to 10 items or less. I write the backstory for myself, so that I can empathize with the character and role play more effectively. If my DM wants to read my backstory, great, if not, then he has the spark notes.
Great point about characters backatories should help the GM set the stage for awesome stories for the players. Another reason why I love Traveler's character creation. Great for working your imagination as you join the navy but get framed for a crime you didn't commit, an enemy for life right there, then you break out of prison with the help of another player so that's a bond right there!
The best backstory is one that explains a bit about where you came from (growing up) and how you came to choose adventuring. And it helps you tie a bit into the world and leaves some spaces that the DM could play with if they want to.
Some backstories i have given characters 1: Timbo was an acrobat as long as he could remember, working for different carnivals. Along the way he picked up a few skills for breaking and entering, and slight of hand. After he was freed, he rejoined one of the circuses as an acrobat and 2nd story man when the carnival owner needed a little extra cash. Unfortunely the carnival was attacked, and the survivors(including Timbo) traveled to the Holy City of Krymmann, where they went their seperate ways. 2: Hasek was born in the small village of Relwave, on the edge of the Frelwave forest. At the age of 12, while being trained to be part of the Frelwave Rangers, he was contacted by a little green man that taught him some info about magic and about a major problem that will occur in a few years up north. Hasek spent 3 years with the little green man being trained, but that was only 1 night in the real world. People were surprised by how much Hasek aged in one night that he became a folk hero and well known person. In the 6 years since his "encounter", Hasek has traveled many different places and has become an extremely good hunter but has never encountered anyone else that knows the language that he learned from the little green guy. A couple of months ago Hasek headed to the City of Glory to meet his destiny. While traveling, he met a strange guy that spends most of his time reading books and let the guy join him on the trip, since the guy was interested in the library in the City of Glory. 3: Zenob was born of the Garbanz tribe of mountain orcs who use the fallen(enemy and friendly) as part of their army, due to his intelligence he was sent to be an apprentice to the great orc Wizard Rosh Mog who single handedly defeated the great frost giant invasion. 8 years later after being decently trained in necromancy, and spending a lot of time reading books, he was sent to join the war party and eventually use the enemy against themselves.
Excessive backstory is a case of backwards design. Another example is that players imagine their characters at level 10, and then make all the choices from level 1 onwards to match that image. These characters are often static, as all the adventures are only the road to reach that end.
Generally Im interested in the characters story moving forward. Now Elric of Melnibone was a hemophiliac prince of a dying empire. I like Traveller for the character creation, where your character has had a career already and has connections with a couple members of the party before they decide to go travelling together. Thanks great monologue.
One thing to say: if you want your backstory to include possible advantages your character can leverage, doing it by giving them social connections and obligations is the way to go. I once played a character who was an Orc in the spelljammer setting: she was a member of a sect of warrior-monks who hunted down the evil wizards and dark lords and whatnot which tend to use Orcs as minions on the premise that it was those villains who gave Orcs as a whole a bad name. Her motivation was that she had an infant daughter hidden away on some barren rock in space, and she wanted to help make Wildspace a better place for Orcs to live so that her daughter could one day come out of hiding. The organization I wrote for her to be a part of offered a few advantages, but every advantage it offered was in the form of something the DM could use to provide information, hooks, or tips to the party and had a built in cost for using it - my DM and fellow players loved it.
I remember hearing about a British study where they wanted to know what kind of backstory makes Victoria Cross winners and it is the people who cannot afford to die. As an US example of someone who fit the mold to a tee (I'd use a UK example, but I haven't tried to find one), you get Audie Murphy who, before joining the military, had an exception from having to attend school as his families only income. He dies, his family stops getting a paycheck so he can't die. I saw a fantasy story which had a similar concept for one of the characters. She was from a noble house which spends money faster than they can get it and are pretending their debtors do not exist. So the character joined an adventuring group to try and provide for the family members who aren't responsible for the state of the finances but it keeps getting used on frivolous stuff by the idiots in charge.
Thanks for this. I keep trying to casually hint to other players that one of the reasons The Hobbit is such an entertaining book is that Bilbo Baggins'd backstory is that of a a short, hairy-footed everyman. He eats twelve meals a day. He likes a good pipe. He has a distant relative or two who once were adventurers, but he's lived in the same burrow his entire life without ever venturing beyond the borders of the shire. And until a wizard named Gandalf happened along (and even for several months afterwards) that was just the way he liked it.
Player: *Hands me a copy of their character’s 8-page backstory* Me, the DM: Dude… you’re character is supposed to be level 1- just write down three or four sentences. There’s no way a character has done all that and stayed level 1!
Unless the backstory ends with "...and then I had an epic battle with a horde of [first edition] wraiths and by the time I killed the last one I was back to level one."
I had a half-orc bard that used to tell bits of his back story at camp each night, over the booze he had a spell to summon. He also had ranks in butchery, and started new adventures with a live pig. This was because his mother reminded him that low-level orcs often become casualties if their warband runs out of food. He was no great shakes at seduction, but party morale was consistently high.
Thanks so much! Needed this as I tend to write short stories instead of paragraphs for backstories. I’m the GM for my family’s group so this will help me with my NPCs - I tend to overdo it.
That's an easy trap to fall into. Murphy's RPG Law: When I write short stories for NPC backgrounds, the characters will either kill the NPC in seconds (probably placing a silence spell on the NPC so that he's unable to monologue or reveal anything), or they never interact with the NPC. My players will skip the Balrog and spend 3 hours asking the nameless peasant farmer the names of each of his chickens--including the type of seed they prefer--which is when I create/improv a massive chicken made of fire and shadow...
@@jobak5021 I mean if you enjoy the writing process and have the time then wynaut? Obviously it's a different story if you're not having fun or need that time for higher priorities
I’m a forever DM, but when I actually got the chance to play, I kept my backstory to about a paragraph and a half. Basically, my dude is an edgelord, (dark sorcerer that may or may not be slightly undead), but really he was kicked out of his clan and would do anything to be welcomed back into said clan. He’s got a strong sense of family despite being creepy, and I tried to provide the DM with something to test the motivation of my character. Edit: I made sure the DM new that his former clan was really a bunch of bad people, so that the DM could use them as an antagonist later on.
All of the Grey Mouser + Fafherd stories were available on YT until recently. I’m very sad they are now gone. Really great tales for inspiration. PS - RJD as the user name earns big points.
I like to make my chars as secondary characters in that way I focus in how I interact with the other characters at the table. Maybe because I'm a DM mtself that I look to make the backstory of my character brief but with some points who can help the dm to include him into his world
As a forever DM, I do the same thing: simple characters, check in with the DM to make sure the character fits with the players at the table and with the DM's campaign.
The irony of a video, about concise backstories, having a minute long introduction on that very topic is not lost on dungeoncraft viewers. Fear not professor.
The Ars Magica game had a system in character creation where players picked various Virtues (special abilities, advantages from their background, etc.) but they had to balanced out by an equal amount (or rating) of Flaws, which were the opposite. This helped create interesting characters with good and bad qualities, weaknesses and strengths. The same idea should apply to backstories in any RPG. Advantages should be balanced by disadvantages. That makes for more interesting and playable characters. Sure it's fun for a while to be the best at everything - I played that way for a while when I was 10 years old. But it gets old fast.
I run a Viking style campaign and I ruled that all characters in the game are young people coming from the same little village. I asked each one to come up with one story/incident that tied them to each other character. Didn't have to be anything fancy. One player came up with the story that the big barbarian was the one who always carried him home after getting drunk and passing out. Furthermore I asked each player to tell us about their family/parents. These were actually only two or three bullet points that kept growing throughout the campaign with little things added over time (I love the little "at the campfire" scenes during which I often ask one player to come up with what is happening during that time - "I burned our dinner", "I choke on the fishbones etc" - they always lead to something new about the character backgrounds).
One thing I'd add is making a character that compliments the setting. The DM is trying to simulate a virtual world for everyone to escape to & enjoy. Asking questions so you can integrate your character into that simulation as seamlessly as possible. This makes the experience more immersive & engaging for both player & DM alike. It also gives the DM tools to move the game along while also showing that you aren't just dismissing his enjoyment of what he created for you.
Flaws, disadvantages, banes...the best damn fodder for interesting and memorable play. I always get a kick out of how our groups GMs these a weave them into excellent backgrounds and in-game situations. Always interesting; always fun; rarely advantageous; rarely earth shaking.
One thing to keep in mind is that the destined heroic child/orphan is a really old trope. Before Harry there was Garion/Belgarion, before that there was the granddaddy of them all, King Arthur. For much of 70s/80s fantasy pulp, if it wasn't a Tolkein riff it was an Arthurian riff.
I have recently started watching the Professor, a lot of older videos, and to me he looks like he found the Fountaint of Youth now! Slimmer and finer hair. Maybe a bit shallow to focus on, but, I hope he's all well!
To date, my favourite character backstory I've had at my table was Abraham, the professional grave robber and tomb delver. Has a wife and kid. His mum is still around who runs an inn with his wife. Just trying to live day to day, his wife pestering him about doing so many work trips.
Your description of the "Edgelord" reminded me of every Chaotic Neutral player I've ever played with. I can never help but think that the other characters in the party would never put up with that character, let alone adventure with them. But the player gets to hide behind the organized play society rules, and so we have to. I do enjoy when my players put the time into creating an interesting back story. As DMs, we need to make sure we don't cross the line of using that backstory to manipulate the characters though. Still wearing my Deathbringer T-shirt. 😉
Oh, and I respectfully disagree. As a GM I want to delicately use the backstory to manupulate the characters. The key is to do it in a way that's fun and not overbearing. Stuff that's tied to the character is naturally more motivating and engaging than random shiz
@@priestesslucy Seems that you respectively AGREE. You "delicately use a backstory" and are careful to not be "overbearing." i.e. you are careful not to cross a line that railroads characters and takes away their autonomy.
Me and my DM tend to have butt heads in the past in regards to backstories and world building. The other day he wanted me to make a compelling backstory as to why I should be allowed to play a Fire Genasi in the world he created. Just to note, we were rolling back to PHB core races since we had some issues with having to go book delving across multiple expansions which led to time-wasting. So I took the time, probably in the space of an hour, to make a two-page background entirely about the Order of Ember that my fella hailed from. He wasn't *born* a Fire Genasi, rather he was made in to one through a ritual that went hand-in-hand with the world my DM wanted. So we took the time to look at the world he made and he trusted me enough to keep the regions on it a secret. Probably a first time where I actually co-op'd with a DM to flesh out a game and it made our lives so much easier since we understood what the other wanted.
My latest character story is there is a factory building, monk warforges who use guns and crossbow as their weapons, and a guy is trying to gain control of it of them, only for them to wander around. My character is one of those and obeys to the one who put him back into function, as a bodyguard who will willingly sacrifice himself for his master. (Also is a good way to explain how a new one keep coming back as I died facing a bugbear at lvl 1)
One of my characters is an elf bard whose tragic backstory is that his wife died Of old age, after almost a century of happy marriage and a dozen half-elf children who are powerful and accomplished adventurers in their own right. He went out of retirement after a period of morning, having settled down and _stopped_ adventuring previously to marry her (and got rusty, reverting to Level 1) .
In Warlock! each career has two simple questions that are relevant to that career, such as a Ratcatcher… “Where have you worked?” (roll a d6) The market, it's crawling with vermin….“What have you seen?” (roll a d6) Things in the sewers, man-like things.
Great topic and well done video. Great methods at the end as well. This video ties in well with others you've made on how different influences and how different types of players have changed D&D over the years. I like the D&D 5e background mechanic and look at it as an improved secondary skill. It's a simple way to add a little depth to a character. You mentioned the two dreaded background sins. I think those are universal. I also liked how you talked about the influences on today's players. As the forever DM, I always see the game through the eyes of the players and how they approach the game. In the 90s, we were playing an AD&D and AD&D 2e sort of hybrid, and every player wanted to play Drizzt. I had so many dark elf (or even regular elf) two sword wielding rangers...I had two players that were so influenced by the Legend of Huma, that one of them almost always played a knight or paladin, and the other would play a minotaur fighter. I was forced to use the Dragonlance campaign book at all times going forward. I would say that for several of my players, The Wheel of Time really had a major impact similar to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson in that the players wanted to be Rand, Mat, and Perrin--Ta'veren. These players believed in higher ability scores for PCs (Dark Sun rolling method without the Dark Sun campaign environment and limitations), and when we switched to Pathfinder (for over a decade) really wanted the hero points option (basically inspiration on steroids). For me, (outside of the Red Box) I was heavily influenced by Greek mythology--not the Percy Jackson kind (although that would have been a fun read in elementary school). That meant I was open to quests and larger than life heroes, but more often than not, it also meant I embraced more tragedy and gruesome ends in underground labyrinths...I think that's why I loved the red box so much: of course the beloved cleric dies. My first character wielded a trident and worshipped Poseidon. I think he was a fighter or a ranger. I have no idea how I made that work. Until the D&D cartoon came out, I insisted that elfin cloaks didn't turn you invisible, magic caps did (Hades).
I am guilty of a "greatest ever" backstory, but it was 30 years ago. Nowadays I try to keep it to a half-page per starting level maximum, and I try to keep as many people from my character's history alive as possible. :) It's definitely possible to create a backstory that simply explains motivations and provides context without retelling either the Superman or Batman origin story.
I really like using the random back story generator from either Xanthar's or Tasha's. It's pretty quick, and a great way to get the ball rolling when creativity runs dry. It also works well with other fantasy games, if you fudge it a bit to fit other settings.
It’s generational: There was opportunity for the old school generation. You could go out and make it big. Now there’s so little social mobility that the fantasy is discovering you have an inheritance.
I really agree with all of this, as a "young and newbie" gamemaster. It happened to me one time to have a new player sending me a background of 8 pages about his very edgy blood hunter (to me the problem isn't the edge itself, i like games like Zweihander, World of Darkness, etc. , but the overabundance while being not very substantial and impactful), and i literally said: "Dude. You'll have to scrap that character and make a new one, more approriate to the setting. Or i'm sorry but you're out ." He has redone the character, luckily. Funny thing: it wasn't level 1, all the player were at level 6. So i think i'm quite strict :) Not that i repent it...
I've always been trying to improve my character writing; my latest one is a Goliath fighter who *used* to be a mid level cleric and cultist, but lost his power and home when the deity the cult worshipped disappeared (as a result of a mercenary band attacking the cult) and now he has to take the survivors of the cult and find them a new home with only the basic fighter skills he picked up over the years
I agree with what you are saying completely I tell my players it is about what your character is going to do not what you have done. I'm not sure the giant backstory is just a 5E issue as I remember people doing it when I played 1E. In high school, circa 1986, one player filled out a full notebook, like 32 pages, of backstory. I actually like the amount of room on the PDF on DnD Beyond.
Backstory: pic an archenemy, pick someone or something you love more then life itself. Pick a simple goal that can be attainable from level ?-? Now you created hatred, love, and a desire. And everything a Dm needs to make an awesome story about your character. Players really love when I do this cause it is simple enough for them to do, and broad enough for the DM to really have fun with. Takes about 5minute to do, and opens the game up for the DM. Love the show as always.
@@Loki- yep. Any of those. It’s just easy and does not over complicate it. Most stories usually deal with those main themes on the character.I’m just trying to focus the player, so I don’t get back a 100 page saga that directly deals in those themes and plots.
I think in most RP games I've played over the decades, we tended to start with what I call, 'The Normandy Story". "Hey kid. What's yer name?" "Where you from, Alex?" "Got a smoke?" "The ramp is going down. Stick with me kid and let's give the German's hell!" In other words, your level one. Your expendable. Assault the beach. If you live afterwards, then we'll talk a little further, share a drink or two and tell some lies. The actual story then starts from there. There are caveats. "If" the character is integral to the overall campaign or larger plot or story. Otherwise, the norm was a session or two. Your here today but, next week is unknown. I only ever played two characters that started with a deeper plot/ story, as they were important for the larger campaign. They were fun, however, it was also a bit of a pain. I do like the very simple chart that Deathbringer has. A lot of "lies/ embellishments" can be inspirational from that, for collaboration between a player and the DM!
I agree they should become GMs, unless they're that GM that becomes upset when the players do not correctly play out the story they've come up with... It's more fun to provide the player with the environment and challenges to shape their backstory through the course of the game. Then, write the 8 pages about it afterword.
For the longest time I’ve wanted to run a campaign where the premise is the players are in a world with… a chosen one… a chosen one born to the village the players grew up in… a chosen one destined to bring light to the world… a chosen one, who iiiiiis not any of the players. Maybe they’ll help him out? Maybe they’ll profit off his hardship? Maybe they’ll run errands for the evil king! No they’re destiny is to make as much coin as possible in the ensuing conflict between chosen one and dark lord
I find that players who come up with elaborate back stories are often people who are searching who this character is and how to get a grip on them, or at least it can be a sign of that. That's clear from my own current game. I frequently tell my players that the game will shape their characters in ways they do not expect and all the back story in the world will mean less than the actual in-game experiences. And yes, it can provide interesting plot threads, but you have to make sure those plot threads don't take over the game and make, otherwise you risk making this one player's story and not everyone's.
My generic backstory is a traveling mercenary. It is an easy start for a GM to use. Want to clear a cave of goblins? For coin, sure. From there join the party, save the world.
When my character's backstory makes The Silmarillion look like CliffsNotes, and documents every somewhat impactful moment in my character's life up to the point of starting adventuring, as early as the character's dad forgetting his/her third birthday, I may just want to get into writing a novel.
One of my characters is Shee'lot, the drow wild mage, who has worked as a City Watchman in Waterdeep for the past century, and who's been an alcoholic to control his severe arachnophobia a bit longer than that. He came to the surface as an infant 200 years ago, brought by his father who escaped the Underdark, and the two have managed to make a living under the sun. Shee'lot has later on discovered some pretty astounding things about himself - his heritage, how Lolth wants him to worship her (as opposed to Mystra, to whom he is faithful), because Lolth slipped a fragment of Mystra's Blue Flame into his soul as a fetus, expecting to claim it at his death (sacrificed on the day of his birth - which didn't happen), the Menzoberranzyr House he has inherited as the last living relative of his mother's, and so on - but when he first showed up, he was pretty much just the archetypal Investigator with a Drinking Problem, and the DM and I embellished from there over the... hum... we've been playing almost weekly since before COVID, so the immense revelations have trickled in over the years... But yeah, a character archetype, a few living relatives or close friends and acquaintances for the DM to latch on to, and a particular leaning or three is really all you need backstory-wise (along with the Character Traits - Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, Flaws), and you can fill in the blanks as you go. That way, the important details are more likely to stick, too, than if you just wrote a whole novella before the campaign even started...
This is one of my favorite videos of dungeon professor so far. It's very useful and interesting. I am making a hack for DnD old school style. And I use a lot, almost all your tips Professor. Thank you for your help. Maybe someday I could share my hack with you, dear master
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 professor while I am at it I want to know your thoughts on an issue I am having with my hack. I want to portrait climate, diseases and poison. What if any rules would you use for this: 1-Heavy and dangerous climate (extreme heat or cold) 2-Diseases and magical diseases ( I don't know why but I love the idea of adventuring party falling ill from the guts of the creature they killed lol) 3-poison:. Different types and effects. If you could make a video on that I would love it
The only time my backstory provided me a provilage was my Zealot Barbarian sending an official letter back to his country to provide some support due to a siege on a city that will result in a world war if taken by the enemy. He had built up a reputation for himself as a powerful, brave and nationalistic warrior who would die for the crown over the course of the game (level 12), so he was practically on the same skill level as most of the generals when it came to combat. So.....the dm considering things.......instead of sending a few squadrons of conscripts and maybe a troop of armored soldiers......he sent in the entire armada. This felt awesome to experience due to the fact that he was built up from "Soldier with a passion for his country" into a respected member of its military over the long course of the game, felt deserved and awesome to have it pay out from the humble beginnings
My backstories always begin as a single hook sentence. My characters longline, something I can improv from the beginning from and develop a defined personality. Then I’ll develop it deeper midway through the campaign in collaboration with the DM based on the tone and direction of the campaign.
Great video! It would be great if players would put as much energy into playing the game, inter-player cooperation, and attention to details of their character sheet AS they do creating in-depth and dynamic character back stories
I definitely wouldn't say the 8-page backstory cliche is due to 5e. My 3e players used to go ALL OUT with their backstories. Every player had multiple pages, and one even went so far as to make his into a physical prop. Meanwhile the last 5e game I ran the players barely even came up with names, let alone intricate backstories.
I once played with a DM who had an interesting take on backstory: you didn’t write one prior to the session. Instead, our backstory was improvised at the beginning of gameplay itself. Example: “You’re part of a group that’s come together seeking to behold the marvels of the Golden City. It is said that the city possesses every item and knowledge one could seek, and that work is plentiful and adventure never ending . Now, Player 1, why is [My wizard char] en route to the Golden City?” Me: He is a neophyte mage seeking precious scrolls to hone his craft, as well as, potentially, find a teacher, since there is no academy and few practitioners of the arcane in his tiny little village. I literally came up with that on the spot, based on how the DM introduced the setting to us in the session itself. It forced me, in a good way, to use the information he gave me in such a way that the backstory would not intrude on the game, and by asking “why is your character going to the city?” he set me on the path immediately and passively made me think about mu Wizard’s motivation within the setting. No one around the table had any issues with the DM’s approach. It went quickly and we got to know each other’s characters FAST.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I did feel put on the spot a bit! But I was surprised how easily it flowed when he asked. As the first person went, the rest of us went at it more easily. To your point though, I'm not sure if I could pull it off as a DM myself, as the description and background of the setting would have to be totally pristine for it to work (this man had 20+ years of experience DM'ing). And I'm guesing players would also need to be okay with having a short backstory (1-2 sentences).
Guilty as charged! I always write a small thesis of no more than 100 pages or so for my characters back story, but, I don't share it, and I'm not married to it. It simply gives me a reference from which to draw, and some have been very campy.
My minotaur's back story (simplified) He grew up in a typical minotaur village ware unless there was an external enemy the tribe was always infighting (chaotic evil). He ran away wail still young looking for something else but not knowing what it was he was looking for. Over the time of play he found out what it was he was looking for, and what he was looking for was a family that cared for each other.
I like the idea of making a destiny style background chart, specifically created by the DM giving each character a known to only to the DM destiny, allowing for adventure hooks later in your campaign.
Players in my campaign need to provide a motivation/goal and couple of fears in addition to a one to two sentence background. This has helped with all kinds of encounters and role playing. Not a lot, just enough to sprinkle in their back stories with the world being created so they feel attached to it. So far it's working quite well.
That's why I miss nonweapon proficiencies so much from 2nd ed, it was a great little way to show what your character was good at do to their past and it kept players from being great at everything. Some DM's were way to strict with the system though and instead of using it as a fun tool would wield it like a weapon tom penalize players for not having some skills.
Just as a general approach, I prefer to have backstory unveil in synch (more or less) with the adventure's unfolding. They both (backstory and progress) start nebulous, perhaps vague and full of missing pieces, but come to be revealed. Put another way, backstory is unveiled just as the story is revealed -- just for the next session. The DM doesn't spend weeks on world-building; the players don't spend weeks on pre-defined backstory. Of course, some traits of personality can and should be fleshed out in advance, but I think the crafting of backstory is more satisfying in this way: perhaps the image being 'in' the stone all along is a good metaphor?
I mean... That's a totally viable way to play and I'm glad you have fun with it, but for me personally I just don't get as much out of the game with a character like that. If I don't know who she is, where she came from and how she came to be the type of person she is, I can't resonate with her nearly as well. Pretty hard to be someone you don't even know lol
Yes. Backstories should be about signaling to the DM the sorts of baddies you want to face - the ranger who has a score to settle with his favored foe, the wizard's rival who used to beat him up for his lunch money, the Fighter's wife who routinely attacks him with a rolling pin!
I ran Call of Cthulhu campaign where the investigators worked for a criminal syndicate. I had a player who ALWAYS had to have a "badass character" who was always an over the top 1980s action hero and the best of the best of the best. I let him do it in Call of Cthulhu even though he knew what the game involved. He decided he could take on a Dark Young. He lasted a few rounds (had a high dodge), until he failed his roll with a 00 and was swiftly flattened by a massive, black tentacle. Every character was like this. And everyone of them died. It was admittedly satisfying.
First time I played D&D was 1980. I rolled up my character on a blank sheet of paper. No background, and no world either. Just 6 guys went adventuring, fought monsters, found treasure, etc. Best game I ever played too. In the 80's we never bothered with backstories. We had no need to know where our character came from, or what their life was like. My character is a Dwarf Fighter. Lets go adventuring. Simple. That said, I'm not against backstories at all. If you want to make a backstory for your character, go for it. All I'm saying is they're not 'necessary' to play the game.
It's a very different type of game from what I'm into (which is more of an imaginary experience supported by rules than a 'game') but I'm glad you had so much fun 💞
@@Lightmane *_deeeeeep_* immersion. The more we as a group can forget we're players on earth and be in the world the better. A psychological experience if you will.
In 1e terms, owing to D&D's wargaming roots, a 1st level fighter was a "veteran" having survived as a soldier in numerous battles prior to adventuring. They wouldn't have been a key figure in those battles or a valiant hero who slayed great foes, but they had been combat-hardened and had earned enough experience to reach 1st level and have more hit points than a small military unit. That's a pretty deep backstory in itself, imo. Tho it wasn't stated as such, it seemed to me that other classes would be the same, with respect to their particular non-combat experience.
Your backgrounds and miseries system resembles the Lifepath system in the Witcher TRPG, which is a great tool for quickly roughing out an idea for an interesting character. I've used it even outside of the game just to come up with some generic ideas when I get stuck in my head. Elsewise, I have always thought of the backstory as a tool shelf, full of useful things that can come into effect later. Everything there is designed to be in addition to the table, not entirely for myself. The way I right my backstories is 2 fold, I first write it out in the rough, flesh it out, then boil it down to at max 2 pages. From there I make a shortened 3rd page that has relevant themes, NPCs and other notes for the GM. The detailed story is both for me and the GM, as it gives an idea of how this character may act and what sort of flavor they have. The second page is entirely for the DM's quick reference, so that when they are looking to integrate the character into the story, they have a list of attributes, themes, and NPC's at their disposal.
My favorite type of backstory to write is one where my pc has already died once but got better. The amount of backstory also depends on the starting level, at 1 yeah it makes no sense to have a huge world-changing story in there but depending on starter level more experiences might be needed to explain it. Obviously going into the "i'm the main character of everything and also my character is already an all-powerful god" at low level, isn't going to work out or even be fun for anyone playing with the character, but even at level 1 a PC is on a different level than most equivalent NPCs For example, my arti starting at level 1 was basically a fresh start where she had no idea what was going on, and the campaign involved discovering the alchemical magic that she could wield. (Also, second ever campaign character so I had a lot of learning to do myself) But on the other hand, my more recent arti starting at level 3 w/ a level 1 feat though, already had experience and a guild to work at, and had even almost died in the shadow realm to turn from a Sea Elf into a Shadar-Kai Elf and got her level 1 feat in the process
The only time I've ever written a really really long and detailed backstory for any of my characters is because we were starting at level four and she was a dhampir that was several hundred years old. It made sense that she had a history since she wasn't a 22 year old level 1 character. Everyone else gets a few paragraphs max.
It can be lazy but it could also be used to explained why a peasant girl has an uncanny ability around the forge or son of a Barbarian high chief has talent with a more civilized musical instrument
I normally don't expect my players to have a background because a lot of things happen at the table that could define who your character is that you never expected because of the randomness of dice rolls and roleplay. Some players like creating backstories so I usually tell them to use it as a guideline and not a rule since that way they can change things as needed as the get a better idea of who they want the character to be and sometimes what they write as a backstory becomes far to difficult for them to maintain in roleplay. If a player gives me a backstory I will mine it for what can be good roleplay encounters.
I like to use character backstories as opportunities for interesting roleplaying moments. My characters usually have an internal conflict from their past and how they process and overcome that conflict depends on the party and how they interact with them. One example that I love is a 5e half-orc I made who deserted the army after his general found out he was sneaking out during the night to have romantic encounters with an elf from the enemy's side. The general found the elven village and killed everyone, she then taunted him and told him his love was nothing but his primitive orc side lusting after a mate. The general, being a half-orc herself, had conviction in her words and left a deep mark in my character's mind. After that she made my character burn the corpses, including his lover's to teach him a lesson. He took that opportunity to flee and never look back. When he met the party he was in a state of deep depression as only a month or so had passed since he ran away. He was cold and aggressive to people, pushed everyone away and tried convincing himself the general was right. He even rented a whole separate room in the tavern and ate rations instead of dining with everyone, but as the party helped him he warmed up to them and eventually learned to grieve and still be happy. One of the biggest hurdles was that the party had two elves and one of them really reminded him of his dead lover and that made him distance himself from the rest as memories would flood whenever they showed kindness and reminded him of the past. I knew that my character would not be able to handle a PC death and when it happened he had a complete breakdown. One of the elves in the party got killed by a band of goblins and he was one of the main reasons my character broke out of his shell. He couldn't handle watching another elf he held dear to his heart die in his arms and cried by himself in the middle of the woods after having to carry his unconscious party to the nearest village, not knowing what to tell everyone when they eventually woke up. I'm still mad to this day that the campaign couldn't continue, the last session ended in such a depressing tone, but none of that would've happened if I hadn't laid the groundwork for it. So many interactions felt natural because I already knew how my character would react due to his backstory, it was a beautiful representation of depression and grief. I wish I had more sessions with that character. I'll always remember Rock Stonewall as the half-orc rune knight who loved to read and wanted to get his favorite book signed by its author because it was the only thing his lover left him. He was strong, but kind and smarter than most. He was my favorite character.
The 3 main players in my latest D&D group, hadn't submitted any backstory before beginning play. So I decided I'd develop them and they can enjoy unravelling them. So like people watching a T.V. series we all get to figure it out together. The Sorceror; is an orphaned waif, who'd been raised and protected by a fairy in disguise. He found this out, after being run off the homestead by the patriarch. Completing a quest, so the fairy could ascertain his strength. He came back with some trinkets and advantages to attempt to save or prolong his "ailing grandmother". Then they threw a mock funeral, the two of them. During that time she told him of his real history and heritage. The character seems to still be processing all that. The Dragonborn, is unique. He is strangely coloured and seems to be growing at an exponential rate. He was raised and trained as a fighter, by a trio of sages. Who between them cannot figure out what's going on with this creature. But each has their own motivations, for the training and uses for him. The Ranger lived in a travelling fringer camp of trappers, hunters and Skinners. These camps peripherally serve the gypsy wagon trains; as work scouts, information gatherers and traders with settled people. Because they speak the common languages. I modelled them on the Romani; they are very guarded and secretive: they don't share plans or policies or even their language with outsiders. She learned the stock and trade, as did all of them having it passed down from the old hands to the new. She began to mature into an attractive young woman and naturally in a small camp of isolated men, this began to draw attention she didn't want. One night after being pawed at and having to threaten one of her unwanted suitors, she used her position as the camp cook to poison the food with a sedative. Gathered her things, including a small purse of coins she had been squirelling away just in case. Took her few hours head start and never looked back. She doesn't want a relationship to tie her down. If she'd stayed; she would now be a camp wife, or worse. Now she can forge her own destiny, see the world for herself. She is about to get a summons to a moot, she better not ignore or tarry to.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 No, no. Thank you professor DM. Yours and a handful of other Web DM's; have really helped me up my game even further, these last few years. Seth Skorkowski, You, The Questing Beast, Baron DeRopp of Dungeon Masterpiece and Matthew Mercer are probably my top 5.
Another great summary of a hot topic, PDM! I don't ask players for backstories, generally. Sometimes players ask me to devise a story arc for them to explore, other times players provide character background. In cases where it is provided, I insist the following questions be answered or the backstory won't be used: 1. What type of childhood life did they have? 2. What work did their father/father-figure do? 3. What occupation did their character do before adventuring? 4. Who are their closest living relatives? The first three provide the actual background. The last one eliminates "edge lords / lone wolves". It also gives the character some relation, some grounding point in the world. See you next time, PDM!
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 So you may find this interesting .... or not ... but am currently running a campaign where the characters start at level 0. The premise is that they are all orphans and their orphanage was burned down. The character's backstory is finding out who burned it own and why; so the players are essentially playing out their character's backstory.
I'm a big proponent of emergent narrative, so I usually ask the players to give me a quick description, a portrait image, and three words about their character, more if they like, but leaving a fair bit of whitespace for the character to expand into later. We do brief (5-10 minutes) "campfire sessions" from time to time in which the players can give/invent additional information about their character. I've found that this allows the players to fit their character into the campaign/milieu in their own way, better than if they make up a bunch of stuff before the game starts that turns out to be at odds with the game setup or the other PCs. I had a wfrp2 player once with an extensive backstory about being a vampire hunter, despite being a starting character, in a wfrp campaign game (grimdark railroad, anyone?) He kept insisting on trying to turn every. single. session. into a story about his character. That was a bit of a trial.
I always liked minimalist or no back story to start. Both as a player and a GM. Having friends, background, etc. come out organically through the adventure. The longest "novel" length back stories players brought to me as a GM led to either being completely incompatable with an already established world or the character dying and the player getting upset because they can't have their character find that lost love, regain the kingdom, or whatever. My current game, each character started with about 3 sentences to get them established. And sometimes a new character can get introduced in a place not considered (party was in a different town and needed a guide) easier to introduce the new character there than wait a session for them to return to the place we had established as the "home town." When the character eas being made, I wouldn't have thought to place them there.
I've always looked at backstory as a fancy way of stating your character's motivation while including the past, present, and a potential future. Where did they come from? Why are they where they are now? Where are they potentially going within the story of the campaign? Then be willing to throw it all out the door when you see a dragon's hoard
I had a player who had a large backstory for his PC that would've fit someone that was level 15. I told him, we're starting at level 1 so that doesn't quite fit here. I suggested he treat this game as the prologue for that PC. He was actually very receptive to the idea of it and approached it as a way to discover what a young and inexperienced version of his PC would be.
Professor, nice haircut. Looking sharp. I’m a really big fan of cooperating with players to flesh out the framework of atheist backstories. Upto a point it’s a diminishing return as you’d pointed out, you can die quickly a low level. For my group we generally hit 3-5 important bits on the background and then build out from there. I’ve found that the campaign world, if given space to breath and grow, will help the players and DM reveal the rest of the players stories.
Had one player planning on writing a book about his character... an assassination attempt gone wrong, seeking a lost artifact, finding a lost city, an encounter with a dragon, Surviving a shipwreck and dragon turtle... all before starting as a level 1 character. Loved the creativity, but I found the best character stories happen at the table. As a dm who builds out the world for his PCs that was a big haul for one player.
Agree, character experience's should be the back story.
That is quite an adventure at level 1
surviving a dragon turtle at lvl1!!! thats impressive!!!!!! falling 10 feet is enough to kill you outright at lvl!!
I think a good backstory can be phrased into one hooking sentence. A computer game my campaign is based on has some good examples:
A gladiator who killed his master when the latter broke the promise to free him.
A battle mage whose final exam turned out to be an attempt of assassination from his mentor.
A Dark Elf who stepped on a path to redemption when he fell in love with a Wood Elf.
A Wood Elf who stepped on a path of depravation when she fell in love with a Dark Elf.
A vampiress who partially broke her curse and is now trying to redeem herself, living as a noble knight during the day, but turning into a beast at night.
A dwarf, the last of his kind, yet with mostly lost memories.
At my table we do a thing called the "Burn Notice" or "Incredible Hulk" rule of character backstories. Basically, back in 2007 or so there was a show on TV called "Burn Notice" about an American spy who gets "burned" (a combination of fired, blackballed, and doxxed) and ends up using his talents to help people while trying to clear his name with the help of some old friends and contacts in the city of Miami.
Now, the thing about that show was that each episode opened with an intro with the main character giving the short "My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy, until..."-monologue that explained basically all that a first-time watcher needed to know (The character and premise, where they are now and how they got there, connection to other characters, wants/desires/goals ect.) all in under a minute. Same with the "Incredible Hulk" show from the eighties: The short intro summarizes all you need to know about the character.
So instead of writing a full multi-page character backstory, I have players "pitch" me a character, then write a short "Burn Notice"-style intro for them.
I use the same idea, but with 3 sentences.
*A Vampire that feels sick and weak at just the **_sight_** of blood.*
That would be fun to role-play! Awesome powers that go to shit as soon as the swords and arrows get used in ernest. 🤣
Sheesh, they don't even need to be that good tbh. Just "my X race is motivated by Y". 'my rogue wants money' is a perfectly reasonable motivation
I got into RPGs in college, playing almost exclusively under one GM. I probably created nearly 20 characters for games he ran, and after the first few he told me that I was one of the few people he'd ever ran for that had total freedom to create whatever I want, dipping into whatever obscure expansion/home brew stuff I felt like (he typically kept it to the core rulebook so that he didn't have to go learning all these things about bizarre races and classes and feats and everything). Sometimes he'd even give me extra feats or class abilities (either from a higher level or borrowed from another class entirely) if it made the character more complete. He might have said no to me maybe once in our years of playing together.
The reason I was given this freedom?
Because I built characters not to be powerful, but to be flawed.
I created backstories that one friend described as "just tossing plot hooks to the GM".
And most of all because I created characters that had a reason to go out and join up with a group of strangers to risk their lives in pursuit of... something.
And that's the key, as you explain here. Make a character that is going to choose to go on adventures with the group, and as much as possible give the GM/DM some free worldbuilding. Creating a cool setting and awesome drama is the role of ALL OF US, both at the table and before we even sit down.
These days, now that everyone has learned the power of a great Session Zero, I show up as a completely blank slate. I listen as the DM and other players start laying out their ideas and when something excites me I jump on it to build a character that fits THEIR story. Best of all is if I can find a way to be the bridge between different PCs. Recently a friend was talking about a concept he had for playing a character with a catastrophic brain injury that left him a hulking brute who could only communicate with one person. I immediately jumped up to say "that's me! I'm going to play a bard that's your wife."
Great video, Professor.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
The best backstory is one you can die during. That's why I always start playing at level one.
Thanks Traveler!
We’ll said, graybeard. I salute you.
Love that one! Never played but I've got characters!
Perfection.
Harn had that too.
@@TheGuidermichael You mean they survived character creation?
My inner Percy Jackson fan just died when I heard “He learns he’s not a normal kid, he’s the son of Zeus!”
Great video though, very informative!!
One of my players came up with an interesting take on the tragic backstory trope. though her character lost almost everything, her village and monastery burned to the ground, her friends slaughtered, her family executed by the inquisition, and has an inferiority complex, but she still decided to become a kind empathetic pacifist and believing in peace among people , driven by the fact that her sister might still be alive out there in the world.
Being one of the more powerful characters she holds back a lot in combat due to her personality.
Though recently, realistically due to the pent up trauma and the near death of her best friend and right after the near death of her lover she finally snapped and killed a guy in an admirable brutal fashion by controlling water to drown him from the inside.
Character development amirite.
Sounds cool!
Wow. Nice.
and made me look up the last word...personal development.
Wow! With imagination like that, she should write a fantasy story 🙂
I love hearing about your NPCs backstories and seeing the minis! Reminds me of some of the first videos I saw from you.
Thanks!
I think DCC's Funnel process is ingenious in this regard--it can create "organic" bonds between players and a more grounded backstory. Of course, the player still needs to decide why that crew of shepherds decided to check out that strange cave . . . but the reasons are quite simple and believable, fortune and glory, kid.
Yep!
That's how I started my DCC campaign. At the most, the surviving PCs have a one-sentence backstory. What makes them interesting is the 4+ years of adventures they have had.
My backstory shortcuts are "you owe someone a chunk of cash: who and why?" and / or "you were headhunted for this job - how did they track you down?" In both cases, the answer solidly links them to the world and the game.
That works.
Sounds like every cyberpunk backstory, it works so well
@@Hdtjdjbszh it'll not be the last thing I steal from William Gibson!
Me, as DM: "You're an adventurer. Your story begins now."
THIS
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Exactly, who wants input from the filthy players. I mean they think it's their game when we all know it's the DMs game and they are just there to let the DM play.
@@rustybollocks3827 That's … not a healthy view of things.
The DM is the hardest working player at the table, that's undeniable. But even with the superhero fantasy D&D has become, the game is the story of how the characters *become* great, not why they already are. It's why Ripley is a supreme badass and Captain Marvel isn't. One of these characters had to become supremely badass, the other one was completely flat and never permitted to have a flaw or anything to strive to overcome.
The 8 page backstory cliche is someone who wants to be Brie Larson, acting out a character who is already a god at level 1. If you watched Critical Role, compare to Vox Machina's Percy. A nobleman born to a wealthy and privileged family. All of that was taken from him, and he wanted vengeance. Slowly he became an increasingly scary-ass motherf**ker serving a dark master he slowly empowered with the souls of those he killed. How epic was it when they killed the Briarwoods? Or when he forgave Ripley, but was nonetheless determined to stop her and Orthax?
A good game backstory is one the player and DM fill in over the course of the campaign.
@@knghtbrd I don't really care to watch professionals with a script "play" D&D. That is as real as any "reality" TV. So it's like I said who cares what the player wants, it's not their game. As long as you agree that's fine.
I just have the weird idea as the DM to allow my players input into their characters. I guess I've been spoiled to not have players like you folks have. I guess I have been doing it wrong all along.
@@rustybollocks3827 I didn't see anyone saying you are playing wrong. If anything it is YOU telling them they are playing wrong.
They are saying you have a background but it shouldn't be some campaign long background when you have ZERO EXPERIENCE.
Besides... Backgrounds are for the individuals. The guy playing next to you could honestly care less about your background and you his.
These are my favorite Dungeon Craft videos. Props for selecting Fiend Folio art as your thumbnail.
Any other suggestions for topics?
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 anything related to running the game sir. My son and I love your campaign planning and execution series.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I have one. Go see Medieval and then talk about how awesome it is. Best movie I've seen since Old Henry.
One of my favorite characters to play was a tabaxi that hit the streets when his dad (a follower of Wael, because cat people) was killed by a beholder on their way to meet his mom in a new town. He was too young to know where she was and started stealing (and got GOOD at it) to eat. Then he "found" a strange coin (trinket table roll) that drew him to the far north. . . Which is where he met the party. . .
The DM ran with the coin, making it cursed, the key to unleash an ancient Yuan-ti army on the world, and the catalyst for the 3rd act war arc of the campaign.
3 sentences and 3 immediately obvious plot threads. It's a little basic, but this was also my 1st PC to start a game with.
Cool. Thanks for sharing, John.
The "down on his luck, wants to strike it big" is also a cliche, but more open ended, I think
It's cliche but so good. In fact most of the classes in DND are what? MERCENARIES
Only the cleric and paladin have a cause most the time
I think a big issue that people run into is conflating long backstories with complex backstories. The most complicated character I ever played was a rogue (arcane trickster) who grew up on the streets because he was trying to support his mother and sister who was trying to become a wizard. He had a major inferiority complex and a feeling of unworthiness at the start, and his flaw was that he had to 'steal' magic from other people in the party because he couldn't learn it on his own. Over the course of the campaign he got revenge on the thieves guild that had been exploiting him, got imprisoned for a crime he had committed in the backstory and had to be helped by the party, surpassed his sister as a mage, fixed his relationship with his family, found true love with a one line character from his backstory, and went from universally hated by everyone in the party to loved so much that everyone pretty much made it their sole goal for him to survive the adventure.
His backstory was less than a page.
My problems with backstories start when the player thinks they are getting special stuff because “It’s in the backstory!”. Working on a points system so players can buy into these things, but there is a limit.
Sounds like a good idea to me! I'd be interested in what you come up with.
Geezer here...
I use homebrew, characters expecting something from their "backstory" must expend a feat. Congrats kid. Depending on what that is, determines what they get. Raised by pirates? Think yer going to know how to swim and some other things.
Gaming on.
you might take a look at GURPS for inspiration, it's a point-buy system with lots of mental, social and physical (and supernatural) traits to buy.
you'll find patrons that give stuff to the pc, allies, military rank, social status, appearance and wealth(even debt), all with point values, for exemple.
Great source of inspiration. they're all in the secondary characteristics and advantage/disadvantage sections.
If you're looking at mechanics for all of this, take a look at the Level Up Advanced 5e Adventurer's Guide. They have rules for Heritage (race), Culture (childhood upbringing, e.g. you can be an elf raised by gnomes or a dwarf who grew up in the circus), Background (more or less same as vanilla 5e--what was your vocation or situation before becoming an adventuring Class), and Destiny (your PC's overriding goal: Wealth, Revenge, World or merely Kingdom Domination, etc.). They claim to be completely compatible with base 5e, which I'm not sure I totally agree with, but they definitely have good ideas worth looking at.
that sounds like a great opportunity to motivate them by starting the campaign with them having lost all that stuff. They've already told you they care about it so 1. they'll really want to get it back and 2. they'll feel very excited when they finally achieve that. I say give them whatever they want and then make them work for it. Just be honest from the start and announce that they will all start with basic equipment
I like to write long backstories, one was almost 3000 words as I was really enjoying writing it as a first person POV short story, but I ALWAYS put a bulletized summary at the top. I put the key places, bonds, connections, and motivations that are necessary to develop encounters right at the top, and make sure to keep it to 10 items or less. I write the backstory for myself, so that I can empathize with the character and role play more effectively. If my DM wants to read my backstory, great, if not, then he has the spark notes.
Great point about characters backatories should help the GM set the stage for awesome stories for the players. Another reason why I love Traveler's character creation. Great for working your imagination as you join the navy but get framed for a crime you didn't commit, an enemy for life right there, then you break out of prison with the help of another player so that's a bond right there!
The best backstory is one that explains a bit about where you came from (growing up) and how you came to choose adventuring. And it helps you tie a bit into the world and leaves some spaces that the DM could play with if they want to.
the image of the berbalalang from the fiend folio is a cool touch
Thanks
Some backstories i have given characters
1: Timbo was an acrobat as long as he could remember, working for different carnivals. Along the way he picked up a few skills for breaking and entering, and slight of hand. After he was freed, he rejoined one of the circuses as an acrobat and 2nd story man when the carnival owner needed a little extra cash. Unfortunely the carnival was attacked, and the survivors(including Timbo) traveled to the Holy City of Krymmann, where they went their seperate ways.
2: Hasek was born in the small village of Relwave, on the edge of the Frelwave forest. At the age of 12, while being trained to be part of the Frelwave Rangers, he was contacted by a little green man that taught him some info about magic and about a major problem that will occur in a few years up north. Hasek spent 3 years with the little green man being trained, but that was only 1 night in the real world. People were surprised by how much Hasek aged in one night that he became a folk hero and well known person. In the 6 years since his "encounter", Hasek has traveled many different places and has become an extremely good hunter but has never encountered anyone else that knows the language that he learned from the little green guy. A couple of months ago Hasek headed to the City of Glory to meet his destiny. While traveling, he met a strange guy that spends most of his time reading books and let the guy join him on the trip, since the guy was interested in the library in the City of Glory.
3: Zenob was born of the Garbanz tribe of mountain orcs who use the fallen(enemy and friendly) as part of their army, due to his intelligence he was sent to be an apprentice to the great orc Wizard Rosh Mog who single handedly defeated the great frost giant invasion. 8 years later after being decently trained in necromancy, and spending a lot of time reading books, he was sent to join the war party and eventually use the enemy against themselves.
Excessive backstory is a case of backwards design. Another example is that players imagine their characters at level 10, and then make all the choices from level 1 onwards to match that image.
These characters are often static, as all the adventures are only the road to reach that end.
Generally Im interested in the characters story moving forward.
Now Elric of Melnibone was a hemophiliac prince of a dying empire.
I like Traveller for the character creation, where your character has had a career already and has connections with a couple members of the party before they decide to go travelling together.
Thanks great monologue.
One thing to say: if you want your backstory to include possible advantages your character can leverage, doing it by giving them social connections and obligations is the way to go. I once played a character who was an Orc in the spelljammer setting: she was a member of a sect of warrior-monks who hunted down the evil wizards and dark lords and whatnot which tend to use Orcs as minions on the premise that it was those villains who gave Orcs as a whole a bad name. Her motivation was that she had an infant daughter hidden away on some barren rock in space, and she wanted to help make Wildspace a better place for Orcs to live so that her daughter could one day come out of hiding. The organization I wrote for her to be a part of offered a few advantages, but every advantage it offered was in the form of something the DM could use to provide information, hooks, or tips to the party and had a built in cost for using it - my DM and fellow players loved it.
I remember hearing about a British study where they wanted to know what kind of backstory makes Victoria Cross winners and it is the people who cannot afford to die.
As an US example of someone who fit the mold to a tee (I'd use a UK example, but I haven't tried to find one), you get Audie Murphy who, before joining the military, had an exception from having to attend school as his families only income. He dies, his family stops getting a paycheck so he can't die.
I saw a fantasy story which had a similar concept for one of the characters. She was from a noble house which spends money faster than they can get it and are pretending their debtors do not exist. So the character joined an adventuring group to try and provide for the family members who aren't responsible for the state of the finances but it keeps getting used on frivolous stuff by the idiots in charge.
Thanks for this. I keep trying to casually hint to other players that one of the reasons The Hobbit is such an entertaining book is that Bilbo Baggins'd backstory is that of a a short, hairy-footed everyman. He eats twelve meals a day. He likes a good pipe. He has a distant relative or two who once were adventurers, but he's lived in the same burrow his entire life without ever venturing beyond the borders of the shire. And until a wizard named Gandalf happened along (and even for several months afterwards) that was just the way he liked it.
Nice!
Player: *Hands me a copy of their character’s 8-page backstory*
Me, the DM: Dude… you’re character is supposed to be level 1- just write down three or four sentences. There’s no way a character has done all that and stayed level 1!
Unless the backstory ends with "...and then I had an epic battle with a horde of [first edition] wraiths and by the time I killed the last one I was back to level one."
This is a fantasy game. There are dozens of ways they could've stayed or gone back to level one.
Bwahahahaha
One of my characters has experience as an administrator in one of the Houses. Yes, an office worker that became an adventurer because of an event.
The backstory can be prior to adventuring at all. Just saying.
I had a half-orc bard that used to tell bits of his back story at camp each night, over the booze he had a spell to summon. He also had ranks in butchery, and started new adventures with a live pig. This was because his mother reminded him that low-level orcs often become casualties if their warband runs out of food. He was no great shakes at seduction, but party morale was consistently high.
Thanks so much! Needed this as I tend to write short stories instead of paragraphs for backstories. I’m the GM for my family’s group so this will help me with my NPCs - I tend to overdo it.
That's an easy trap to fall into. Murphy's RPG Law: When I write short stories for NPC backgrounds, the characters will either kill the NPC in seconds (probably placing a silence spell on the NPC so that he's unable to monologue or reveal anything), or they never interact with the NPC. My players will skip the Balrog and spend 3 hours asking the nameless peasant farmer the names of each of his chickens--including the type of seed they prefer--which is when I create/improv a massive chicken made of fire and shadow...
Haha that is awesome. Way to redirect it all back to your original plan!
@@jobak5021 I mean if you enjoy the writing process and have the time then wynaut?
Obviously it's a different story if you're not having fun or need that time for higher priorities
I’m a forever DM, but when I actually got the chance to play, I kept my backstory to about a paragraph and a half.
Basically, my dude is an edgelord, (dark sorcerer that may or may not be slightly undead), but really he was kicked out of his clan and would do anything to be welcomed back into said clan.
He’s got a strong sense of family despite being creepy, and I tried to provide the DM with something to test the motivation of my character.
Edit: I made sure the DM new that his former clan was really a bunch of bad people, so that the DM could use them as an antagonist later on.
DMs understand what other DMs are looking for.
Thanks for the shout out to Fitz Libers incredible character from his Lanhkmar stories
All of the Grey Mouser + Fafherd stories were available on YT until recently. I’m very sad they are now gone. Really great tales for inspiration.
PS - RJD as the user name earns big points.
Fritz was the best. “Bleak Shore” rocks.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I was raised on the Swords against books and REH. The best fantasy ever.
I like to make my chars as secondary characters in that way I focus in how I interact with the other characters at the table. Maybe because I'm a DM mtself that I look to make the backstory of my character brief but with some points who can help the dm to include him into his world
As a forever DM, I do the same thing: simple characters, check in with the DM to make sure the character fits with the players at the table and with the DM's campaign.
Amen to this. Players who create this long complicated backstories have obviously never been a GM.
The irony of a video, about concise backstories, having a minute long introduction on that very topic is not lost on dungeoncraft viewers. Fear not professor.
The Ars Magica game had a system in character creation where players picked various Virtues (special abilities, advantages from their background, etc.) but they had to balanced out by an equal amount (or rating) of Flaws, which were the opposite. This helped create interesting characters with good and bad qualities, weaknesses and strengths. The same idea should apply to backstories in any RPG. Advantages should be balanced by disadvantages. That makes for more interesting and playable characters. Sure it's fun for a while to be the best at everything - I played that way for a while when I was 10 years old. But it gets old fast.
Are Magic is a cool game.
My favorite video of yours in a while PDM! It feels like a bit of a return to form after a lot of "5e drama" videos lately.
I run a Viking style campaign and I ruled that all characters in the game are young people coming from the same little village. I asked each one to come up with one story/incident that tied them to each other character. Didn't have to be anything fancy. One player came up with the story that the big barbarian was the one who always carried him home after getting drunk and passing out. Furthermore I asked each player to tell us about their family/parents. These were actually only two or three bullet points that kept growing throughout the campaign with little things added over time (I love the little "at the campfire" scenes during which I often ask one player to come up with what is happening during that time - "I burned our dinner", "I choke on the fishbones etc" - they always lead to something new about the character backgrounds).
Intersting.
of course you can always leave some unanswered questions to improv them later
One thing I'd add is making a character that compliments the setting.
The DM is trying to simulate a virtual world for everyone to escape to & enjoy.
Asking questions so you can integrate your character into that simulation as seamlessly as possible.
This makes the experience more immersive & engaging for both player & DM alike.
It also gives the DM tools to move the game along while also showing that you aren't just dismissing his enjoyment of what he created for you.
Flaws, disadvantages, banes...the best damn fodder for interesting and memorable play. I always get a kick out of how our groups GMs these a weave them into excellent backgrounds and in-game situations. Always interesting; always fun; rarely advantageous; rarely earth shaking.
It's all about the fun for me.
One thing to keep in mind is that the destined heroic child/orphan is a really old trope. Before Harry there was Garion/Belgarion, before that there was the granddaddy of them all, King Arthur. For much of 70s/80s fantasy pulp, if it wasn't a Tolkein riff it was an Arthurian riff.
I have recently started watching the Professor, a lot of older videos, and to me he looks like he found the Fountaint of Youth now! Slimmer and finer hair. Maybe a bit shallow to focus on, but, I hope he's all well!
Bonus XP for saying I look slimmer.
To date, my favourite character backstory I've had at my table was Abraham, the professional grave robber and tomb delver. Has a wife and kid. His mum is still around who runs an inn with his wife. Just trying to live day to day, his wife pestering him about doing so many work trips.
Your description of the "Edgelord" reminded me of every Chaotic Neutral player I've ever played with. I can never help but think that the other characters in the party would never put up with that character, let alone adventure with them. But the player gets to hide behind the organized play society rules, and so we have to.
I do enjoy when my players put the time into creating an interesting back story. As DMs, we need to make sure we don't cross the line of using that backstory to manipulate the characters though.
Still wearing my Deathbringer T-shirt. 😉
I've seen more True Neutral and Chaotic Good edgelords than CN tbh
Oh, and I respectfully disagree.
As a GM I want to delicately use the backstory to manupulate the characters.
The key is to do it in a way that's fun and not overbearing. Stuff that's tied to the character is naturally more motivating and engaging than random shiz
@@priestesslucy Seems that you respectively AGREE. You "delicately use a backstory" and are careful to not be "overbearing." i.e. you are careful not to cross a line that railroads characters and takes away their autonomy.
@@EvilTed666 Yeah, it's a tool I love to use. I'm just careful not to abuse it
You must play like a badass-DB
Me and my DM tend to have butt heads in the past in regards to backstories and world building. The other day he wanted me to make a compelling backstory as to why I should be allowed to play a Fire Genasi in the world he created. Just to note, we were rolling back to PHB core races since we had some issues with having to go book delving across multiple expansions which led to time-wasting.
So I took the time, probably in the space of an hour, to make a two-page background entirely about the Order of Ember that my fella hailed from. He wasn't *born* a Fire Genasi, rather he was made in to one through a ritual that went hand-in-hand with the world my DM wanted. So we took the time to look at the world he made and he trusted me enough to keep the regions on it a secret. Probably a first time where I actually co-op'd with a DM to flesh out a game and it made our lives so much easier since we understood what the other wanted.
My latest character story is there is a factory building, monk warforges who use guns and crossbow as their weapons, and a guy is trying to gain control of it of them, only for them to wander around. My character is one of those and obeys to the one who put him back into function, as a bodyguard who will willingly sacrifice himself for his master. (Also is a good way to explain how a new one keep coming back as I died facing a bugbear at lvl 1)
One of my characters is an elf bard whose tragic backstory is that his wife died
Of old age, after almost a century of happy marriage and a dozen half-elf children who are powerful and accomplished adventurers in their own right. He went out of retirement after a period of morning, having settled down and _stopped_ adventuring previously to marry her (and got rusty, reverting to Level 1) .
Thanks for sharing that.
Spot on. It's crazy that all that needs to be said, but here we are.
Yup
I like my player backstory like this: Third person, past tense and concise enough to fit on a business card.
In Warlock! each career has two simple questions that are relevant to that career, such as a Ratcatcher… “Where have you worked?” (roll a d6) The market, it's crawling with vermin….“What have you seen?” (roll a d6) Things in the sewers, man-like things.
Great topic and well done video. Great methods at the end as well. This video ties in well with others you've made on how different influences and how different types of players have changed D&D over the years. I like the D&D 5e background mechanic and look at it as an improved secondary skill. It's a simple way to add a little depth to a character. You mentioned the two dreaded background sins. I think those are universal. I also liked how you talked about the influences on today's players. As the forever DM, I always see the game through the eyes of the players and how they approach the game. In the 90s, we were playing an AD&D and AD&D 2e sort of hybrid, and every player wanted to play Drizzt. I had so many dark elf (or even regular elf) two sword wielding rangers...I had two players that were so influenced by the Legend of Huma, that one of them almost always played a knight or paladin, and the other would play a minotaur fighter. I was forced to use the Dragonlance campaign book at all times going forward. I would say that for several of my players, The Wheel of Time really had a major impact similar to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson in that the players wanted to be Rand, Mat, and Perrin--Ta'veren. These players believed in higher ability scores for PCs (Dark Sun rolling method without the Dark Sun campaign environment and limitations), and when we switched to Pathfinder (for over a decade) really wanted the hero points option (basically inspiration on steroids). For me, (outside of the Red Box) I was heavily influenced by Greek mythology--not the Percy Jackson kind (although that would have been a fun read in elementary school). That meant I was open to quests and larger than life heroes, but more often than not, it also meant I embraced more tragedy and gruesome ends in underground labyrinths...I think that's why I loved the red box so much: of course the beloved cleric dies. My first character wielded a trident and worshipped Poseidon. I think he was a fighter or a ranger. I have no idea how I made that work. Until the D&D cartoon came out, I insisted that elfin cloaks didn't turn you invisible, magic caps did (Hades).
Thanks for sharing!
Essential viewing for this channel. Great job!
I am guilty of a "greatest ever" backstory, but it was 30 years ago. Nowadays I try to keep it to a half-page per starting level maximum, and I try to keep as many people from my character's history alive as possible. :)
It's definitely possible to create a backstory that simply explains motivations and provides context without retelling either the Superman or Batman origin story.
I really like using the random back story generator from either Xanthar's or Tasha's. It's pretty quick, and a great way to get the ball rolling when creativity runs dry. It also works well with other fantasy games, if you fudge it a bit to fit other settings.
It’s generational: There was opportunity for the old school generation. You could go out and make it big. Now there’s so little social mobility that the fantasy is discovering you have an inheritance.
I really agree with all of this, as a "young and newbie" gamemaster. It happened to me one time to have a new player sending me a background of 8 pages about his very edgy blood hunter (to me the problem isn't the edge itself, i like games like Zweihander, World of Darkness, etc. , but the overabundance while being not very substantial and impactful), and i literally said:
"Dude. You'll have to scrap that character and make a new one, more approriate to the setting. Or i'm sorry but you're out ."
He has redone the character, luckily.
Funny thing: it wasn't level 1, all the player were at level 6. So i think i'm quite strict :) Not that i repent it...
I've always been trying to improve my character writing; my latest one is a Goliath fighter who *used* to be a mid level cleric and cultist, but lost his power and home when the deity the cult worshipped disappeared (as a result of a mercenary band attacking the cult) and now he has to take the survivors of the cult and find them a new home with only the basic fighter skills he picked up over the years
I agree with what you are saying completely I tell my players it is about what your character is going to do not what you have done. I'm not sure the giant backstory is just a 5E issue as I remember people doing it when I played 1E. In high school, circa 1986, one player filled out a full notebook, like 32 pages, of backstory. I actually like the amount of room on the PDF on DnD Beyond.
It’s bigger now, but yeah. There was always THAT guy…
Backstory: pic an archenemy, pick someone or something you love more then life itself. Pick a simple goal that can be attainable from level ?-? Now you created hatred, love, and a desire. And everything a Dm needs to make an awesome story about your character. Players really love when I do this cause it is simple enough for them to do, and broad enough for the DM to really have fun with. Takes about 5minute to do, and opens the game up for the DM. Love the show as always.
I like it. Arch enemy could also include greatest weakness or vice or maybe even biggest regret!
@@Loki- yep. Any of those. It’s just easy and does not over complicate it. Most stories usually deal with those main themes on the character.I’m just trying to focus the player, so I don’t get back a 100 page saga that directly deals in those themes and plots.
Short and sweet.
Everything you said, I've felt it as a DM and i have tried to iterate this to my players. We'll see if it takes. Thanks for the video! #sharing
Hope it helps. Thanks for sharing.
I think in most RP games I've played over the decades, we tended to start with what I call, 'The Normandy Story".
"Hey kid. What's yer name?"
"Where you from, Alex?"
"Got a smoke?"
"The ramp is going down. Stick with me kid and let's give the German's hell!"
In other words, your level one. Your expendable. Assault the beach. If you live afterwards, then we'll talk a little further, share a drink or two and tell some lies. The actual story then starts from there.
There are caveats. "If" the character is integral to the overall campaign or larger plot or story. Otherwise, the norm was a session or two. Your here today but, next week is unknown.
I only ever played two characters that started with a deeper plot/ story, as they were important for the larger campaign. They were fun, however, it was also a bit of a pain.
I do like the very simple chart that Deathbringer has. A lot of "lies/ embellishments" can be inspirational from that, for collaboration between a player and the DM!
Players fascinated by 8 Page backstories should become GMs, easy Problem solved.
I feel players who do them are the type who have a wish to play as a gm
Or authors.
I agree they should become GMs, unless they're that GM that becomes upset when the players do not correctly play out the story they've come up with... It's more fun to provide the player with the environment and challenges to shape their backstory through the course of the game. Then, write the 8 pages about it afterword.
@@opaqued2039 DMPCs stink.
@@vincejester7558 Yes. Yes they do.
I remember talking about the 8 page backstory problem back in the 2e days. It's not a new thing.
I see it’s two for Tuesday again. It looks like your video posted twice. That’s okay because greatness can be duplicated!
For the longest time I’ve wanted to run a campaign where the premise is the players are in a world with… a chosen one… a chosen one born to the village the players grew up in… a chosen one destined to bring light to the world… a chosen one, who iiiiiis not any of the players. Maybe they’ll help him out? Maybe they’ll profit off his hardship? Maybe they’ll run errands for the evil king!
No they’re destiny is to make as much coin as possible in the ensuing conflict between chosen one and dark lord
I find that players who come up with elaborate back stories are often people who are searching who this character is and how to get a grip on them, or at least it can be a sign of that. That's clear from my own current game. I frequently tell my players that the game will shape their characters in ways they do not expect and all the back story in the world will mean less than the actual in-game experiences. And yes, it can provide interesting plot threads, but you have to make sure those plot threads don't take over the game and make, otherwise you risk making this one player's story and not everyone's.
My generic backstory is a traveling mercenary. It is an easy start for a GM to use.
Want to clear a cave of goblins? For coin, sure.
From there join the party, save the world.
When my character's backstory makes The Silmarillion look like CliffsNotes, and documents every somewhat impactful moment in my character's life up to the point of starting adventuring, as early as the character's dad forgetting his/her third birthday, I may just want to get into writing a novel.
LOL
One of my characters is Shee'lot, the drow wild mage, who has worked as a City Watchman in Waterdeep for the past century, and who's been an alcoholic to control his severe arachnophobia a bit longer than that. He came to the surface as an infant 200 years ago, brought by his father who escaped the Underdark, and the two have managed to make a living under the sun.
Shee'lot has later on discovered some pretty astounding things about himself - his heritage, how Lolth wants him to worship her (as opposed to Mystra, to whom he is faithful), because Lolth slipped a fragment of Mystra's Blue Flame into his soul as a fetus, expecting to claim it at his death (sacrificed on the day of his birth - which didn't happen), the Menzoberranzyr House he has inherited as the last living relative of his mother's, and so on - but when he first showed up, he was pretty much just the archetypal Investigator with a Drinking Problem, and the DM and I embellished from there over the... hum... we've been playing almost weekly since before COVID, so the immense revelations have trickled in over the years...
But yeah, a character archetype, a few living relatives or close friends and acquaintances for the DM to latch on to, and a particular leaning or three is really all you need backstory-wise (along with the Character Traits - Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, Flaws), and you can fill in the blanks as you go. That way, the important details are more likely to stick, too, than if you just wrote a whole novella before the campaign even started...
Thanks for sharing!
This is one of my favorite videos of dungeon professor so far. It's very useful and interesting. I am making a hack for DnD old school style. And I use a lot, almost all your tips Professor. Thank you for your help. Maybe someday I could share my hack with you, dear master
Thanks for your kind words. I am glad you find the videos useful.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 professor while I am at it I want to know your thoughts on an issue I am having with my hack.
I want to portrait climate, diseases and poison.
What if any rules would you use for this:
1-Heavy and dangerous climate (extreme heat or cold)
2-Diseases and magical diseases ( I don't know why but I love the idea of adventuring party falling ill from the guts of the creature they killed lol)
3-poison:. Different types and effects.
If you could make a video on that I would love it
The only time my backstory provided me a provilage was my Zealot Barbarian sending an official letter back to his country to provide some support due to a siege on a city that will result in a world war if taken by the enemy. He had built up a reputation for himself as a powerful, brave and nationalistic warrior who would die for the crown over the course of the game (level 12), so he was practically on the same skill level as most of the generals when it came to combat. So.....the dm considering things.......instead of sending a few squadrons of conscripts and maybe a troop of armored soldiers......he sent in the entire armada. This felt awesome to experience due to the fact that he was built up from "Soldier with a passion for his country" into a respected member of its military over the long course of the game, felt deserved and awesome to have it pay out from the humble beginnings
My backstories always begin as a single hook sentence. My characters longline, something I can improv from the beginning from and develop a defined personality. Then I’ll develop it deeper midway through the campaign in collaboration with the DM based on the tone and direction of the campaign.
Great video! It would be great if players would put as much energy into playing the game, inter-player cooperation, and attention to details of their character sheet AS they do creating in-depth and dynamic character back stories
Thanks!
I definitely wouldn't say the 8-page backstory cliche is due to 5e. My 3e players used to go ALL OUT with their backstories. Every player had multiple pages, and one even went so far as to make his into a physical prop. Meanwhile the last 5e game I ran the players barely even came up with names, let alone intricate backstories.
I hear you. Every game is different.
I once played with a DM who had an interesting take on backstory: you didn’t write one prior to the session. Instead, our backstory was improvised at the beginning of gameplay itself.
Example: “You’re part of a group that’s come together seeking to behold the marvels of the Golden City. It is said that the city possesses every item and knowledge one could seek, and that work is plentiful and adventure never ending . Now, Player 1, why is [My wizard char] en route to the Golden City?”
Me: He is a neophyte mage seeking precious scrolls to hone his craft, as well as, potentially, find a teacher, since there is no academy and few practitioners of the arcane in his tiny little village.
I literally came up with that on the spot, based on how the DM introduced the setting to us in the session itself. It forced me, in a good way, to use the information he gave me in such a way that the backstory would not intrude on the game, and by asking “why is your character going to the city?” he set me on the path immediately and passively made me think about mu Wizard’s motivation within the setting.
No one around the table had any issues with the DM’s approach. It went quickly and we got to know each other’s characters FAST.
Some players have a hard time thinking things like that up on the spot. You're very creative.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I did feel put on the spot a bit! But I was surprised how easily it flowed when he asked. As the first person went, the rest of us went at it more easily. To your point though, I'm not sure if I could pull it off as a DM myself, as the description and background of the setting would have to be totally pristine for it to work (this man had 20+ years of experience DM'ing). And I'm guesing players would also need to be okay with having a short backstory (1-2 sentences).
Guilty as charged!
I always write a small thesis of no more than 100 pages or so for my characters back story, but, I don't share it, and I'm not married to it. It simply gives me a reference from which to draw, and some have been very campy.
100 pages? Damn that's epic.
My minotaur's back story (simplified) He grew up in a typical minotaur village ware unless there was an external enemy the tribe was always infighting (chaotic evil). He ran away wail still young looking for something else but not knowing what it was he was looking for. Over the time of play he found out what it was he was looking for, and what he was looking for was a family that cared for each other.
I like the idea of making a destiny style background chart, specifically created by the DM giving each character a known to only to the DM destiny, allowing for adventure hooks later in your campaign.
I love your first day of school picture.
LOL Sadist!
All TH-cam D & D thumbnails should be Fiend Folio thumbnails. No exceptions. Well played sir, well played.
Lol. I just saw another comment complaining about my complaining. But you are my audience. Carry on.
Players in my campaign need to provide a motivation/goal and couple of fears in addition to a one to two sentence background. This has helped with all kinds of encounters and role playing. Not a lot, just enough to sprinkle in their back stories with the world being created so they feel attached to it. So far it's working quite well.
Sweet and simple.
That's why I miss nonweapon proficiencies so much from 2nd ed, it was a great little way to show what your character was good at do to their past and it kept players from being great at everything. Some DM's were way to strict with the system though and instead of using it as a fun tool would wield it like a weapon tom penalize players for not having some skills.
Just as a general approach, I prefer to have backstory unveil in synch (more or less) with the adventure's unfolding. They both (backstory and progress) start nebulous, perhaps vague and full of missing pieces, but come to be revealed. Put another way, backstory is unveiled just as the story is revealed -- just for the next session. The DM doesn't spend weeks on world-building; the players don't spend weeks on pre-defined backstory. Of course, some traits of personality can and should be fleshed out in advance, but I think the crafting of backstory is more satisfying in this way: perhaps the image being 'in' the stone all along is a good metaphor?
Great points. Thanks for taking the time to share!
I mean... That's a totally viable way to play and I'm glad you have fun with it, but for me personally I just don't get as much out of the game with a character like that.
If I don't know who she is, where she came from and how she came to be the type of person she is, I can't resonate with her nearly as well.
Pretty hard to be someone you don't even know lol
Yes. Backstories should be about signaling to the DM the sorts of baddies you want to face - the ranger who has a score to settle with his favored foe, the wizard's rival who used to beat him up for his lunch money, the Fighter's wife who routinely attacks him with a rolling pin!
Ouch!
I ran Call of Cthulhu campaign where the investigators worked for a criminal syndicate. I had a player who ALWAYS had to have a "badass character" who was always an over the top 1980s action hero and the best of the best of the best. I let him do it in Call of Cthulhu even though he knew what the game involved. He decided he could take on a Dark Young. He lasted a few rounds (had a high dodge), until he failed his roll with a 00 and was swiftly flattened by a massive, black tentacle. Every character was like this. And everyone of them died. It was admittedly satisfying.
LOL
First time I played D&D was 1980. I rolled up my character on a blank sheet of paper. No background, and no world either. Just 6 guys went adventuring, fought monsters, found treasure, etc. Best game I ever played too. In the 80's we never bothered with backstories. We had no need to know where our character came from, or what their life was like. My character is a Dwarf Fighter. Lets go adventuring. Simple. That said, I'm not against backstories at all. If you want to make a backstory for your character, go for it. All I'm saying is they're not 'necessary' to play the game.
You've just described perfection.
@@opaqued2039 Wow! Well thanks for that very nice reply 🙂
It's a very different type of game from what I'm into (which is more of an imaginary experience supported by rules than a 'game') but I'm glad you had so much fun 💞
@@priestesslucy there were rules, as well as imagination, as the entire game took place in my imagination. What are you into?
@@Lightmane *_deeeeeep_* immersion. The more we as a group can forget we're players on earth and be in the world the better.
A psychological experience if you will.
In 1e terms, owing to D&D's wargaming roots, a 1st level fighter was a "veteran" having survived as a soldier in numerous battles prior to adventuring. They wouldn't have been a key figure in those battles or a valiant hero who slayed great foes, but they had been combat-hardened and had earned enough experience to reach 1st level and have more hit points than a small military unit. That's a pretty deep backstory in itself, imo. Tho it wasn't stated as such, it seemed to me that other classes would be the same, with respect to their particular non-combat experience.
Your backgrounds and miseries system resembles the Lifepath system in the Witcher TRPG, which is a great tool for quickly roughing out an idea for an interesting character. I've used it even outside of the game just to come up with some generic ideas when I get stuck in my head. Elsewise, I have always thought of the backstory as a tool shelf, full of useful things that can come into effect later. Everything there is designed to be in addition to the table, not entirely for myself. The way I right my backstories is 2 fold, I first write it out in the rough, flesh it out, then boil it down to at max 2 pages. From there I make a shortened 3rd page that has relevant themes, NPCs and other notes for the GM. The detailed story is both for me and the GM, as it gives an idea of how this character may act and what sort of flavor they have. The second page is entirely for the DM's quick reference, so that when they are looking to integrate the character into the story, they have a list of attributes, themes, and NPC's at their disposal.
Thanks for sharing.
My favorite type of backstory to write is one where my pc has already died once but got better. The amount of backstory also depends on the starting level, at 1 yeah it makes no sense to have a huge world-changing story in there but depending on starter level more experiences might be needed to explain it. Obviously going into the "i'm the main character of everything and also my character is already an all-powerful god" at low level, isn't going to work out or even be fun for anyone playing with the character, but even at level 1 a PC is on a different level than most equivalent NPCs
For example, my arti starting at level 1 was basically a fresh start where she had no idea what was going on, and the campaign involved discovering the alchemical magic that she could wield. (Also, second ever campaign character so I had a lot of learning to do myself)
But on the other hand, my more recent arti starting at level 3 w/ a level 1 feat though, already had experience and a guild to work at, and had even almost died in the shadow realm to turn from a Sea Elf into a Shadar-Kai Elf and got her level 1 feat in the process
The only time I've ever written a really really long and detailed backstory for any of my characters is because we were starting at level four and she was a dhampir that was several hundred years old. It made sense that she had a history since she wasn't a 22 year old level 1 character.
Everyone else gets a few paragraphs max.
Poseidon. Percy Jackson is son of Poseidon, but yeah. Your point is well-taken.
It can be lazy but it could also be used to explained why a peasant girl has an uncanny ability around the forge or son of a Barbarian high chief has talent with a more civilized musical instrument
I normally don't expect my players to have a background because a lot of things happen at the table that could define who your character is that you never expected because of the randomness of dice rolls and roleplay. Some players like creating backstories so I usually tell them to use it as a guideline and not a rule since that way they can change things as needed as the get a better idea of who they want the character to be and sometimes what they write as a backstory becomes far to difficult for them to maintain in roleplay. If a player gives me a backstory I will mine it for what can be good roleplay encounters.
Each player is different for sure.
I like to use character backstories as opportunities for interesting roleplaying moments. My characters usually have an internal conflict from their past and how they process and overcome that conflict depends on the party and how they interact with them.
One example that I love is a 5e half-orc I made who deserted the army after his general found out he was sneaking out during the night to have romantic encounters with an elf from the enemy's side. The general found the elven village and killed everyone, she then taunted him and told him his love was nothing but his primitive orc side lusting after a mate. The general, being a half-orc herself, had conviction in her words and left a deep mark in my character's mind. After that she made my character burn the corpses, including his lover's to teach him a lesson. He took that opportunity to flee and never look back.
When he met the party he was in a state of deep depression as only a month or so had passed since he ran away. He was cold and aggressive to people, pushed everyone away and tried convincing himself the general was right. He even rented a whole separate room in the tavern and ate rations instead of dining with everyone, but as the party helped him he warmed up to them and eventually learned to grieve and still be happy. One of the biggest hurdles was that the party had two elves and one of them really reminded him of his dead lover and that made him distance himself from the rest as memories would flood whenever they showed kindness and reminded him of the past.
I knew that my character would not be able to handle a PC death and when it happened he had a complete breakdown. One of the elves in the party got killed by a band of goblins and he was one of the main reasons my character broke out of his shell. He couldn't handle watching another elf he held dear to his heart die in his arms and cried by himself in the middle of the woods after having to carry his unconscious party to the nearest village, not knowing what to tell everyone when they eventually woke up.
I'm still mad to this day that the campaign couldn't continue, the last session ended in such a depressing tone, but none of that would've happened if I hadn't laid the groundwork for it.
So many interactions felt natural because I already knew how my character would react due to his backstory, it was a beautiful representation of depression and grief. I wish I had more sessions with that character.
I'll always remember Rock Stonewall as the half-orc rune knight who loved to read and wanted to get his favorite book signed by its author because it was the only thing his lover left him. He was strong, but kind and smarter than most. He was my favorite character.
Great! Thanks for sharing.
The 3 main players in my latest D&D group, hadn't submitted any backstory before beginning play. So I decided I'd develop them and they can enjoy unravelling them. So like people watching a T.V. series we all get to figure it out together. The Sorceror; is an orphaned waif, who'd been raised and protected by a fairy in disguise. He found this out, after being run off the homestead by the patriarch. Completing a quest, so the fairy could ascertain his strength. He came back with some trinkets and advantages to attempt to save or prolong his "ailing grandmother". Then they threw a mock funeral, the two of them. During that time she told him of his real history and heritage. The character seems to still be processing all that.
The Dragonborn, is unique. He is strangely coloured and seems to be growing at an exponential rate. He was raised and trained as a fighter, by a trio of sages. Who between them cannot figure out what's going on with this creature. But each has their own motivations, for the training and uses for him.
The Ranger lived in a travelling fringer camp of trappers, hunters and Skinners. These camps peripherally serve the gypsy wagon trains; as work scouts, information gatherers and traders with settled people. Because they speak the common languages. I modelled them on the Romani; they are very guarded and secretive: they don't share plans or policies or even their language with outsiders. She learned the stock and trade, as did all of them having it passed down from the old hands to the new. She began to mature into an attractive young woman and naturally in a small camp of isolated men, this began to draw attention she didn't want. One night after being pawed at and having to threaten one of her unwanted suitors, she used her position as the camp cook to poison the food with a sedative. Gathered her things, including a small purse of coins she had been squirelling away just in case. Took her few hours head start and never looked back. She doesn't want a relationship to tie her down. If she'd stayed; she would now be a camp wife, or worse. Now she can forge her own destiny, see the world for herself. She is about to get a summons to a moot, she better not ignore or tarry to.
Thanks for sharing!
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 No, no. Thank you professor DM. Yours and a handful of other Web DM's; have really helped me up my game even further, these last few years. Seth Skorkowski, You, The Questing Beast, Baron DeRopp of Dungeon Masterpiece and Matthew Mercer are probably my top 5.
Another great summary of a hot topic, PDM!
I don't ask players for backstories, generally. Sometimes players ask me to devise a story arc for them to explore, other times players provide character background. In cases where it is provided, I insist the following questions be answered or the backstory won't be used:
1. What type of childhood life did they have?
2. What work did their father/father-figure do?
3. What occupation did their character do before adventuring?
4. Who are their closest living relatives?
The first three provide the actual background. The last one eliminates "edge lords / lone wolves". It also gives the character some relation, some grounding point in the world.
See you next time, PDM!
Cool ideas & thanks for sharing!
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 So you may find this interesting .... or not ... but am currently running a campaign where the characters start at level 0. The premise is that they are all orphans and their orphanage was burned down. The character's backstory is finding out who burned it own and why; so the players are essentially playing out their character's backstory.
I'm a big proponent of emergent narrative, so I usually ask the players to give me a quick description, a portrait image, and three words about their character, more if they like, but leaving a fair bit of whitespace for the character to expand into later. We do brief (5-10 minutes) "campfire sessions" from time to time in which the players can give/invent additional information about their character.
I've found that this allows the players to fit their character into the campaign/milieu in their own way, better than if they make up a bunch of stuff before the game starts that turns out to be at odds with the game setup or the other PCs.
I had a wfrp2 player once with an extensive backstory about being a vampire hunter, despite being a starting character, in a wfrp campaign game (grimdark railroad, anyone?) He kept insisting on trying to turn every. single. session. into a story about his character. That was a bit of a trial.
I have a video coming up about THAT guy.
I didn't know Deathbringer was on Drive thru. It will be mine in 30 seconds. Thanks!
Thanks for your Patronage.
I mean the hero of destiny isn't new. King Arthur is a story older than many modern stories.
I always liked minimalist or no back story to start. Both as a player and a GM. Having friends, background, etc. come out organically through the adventure. The longest "novel" length back stories players brought to me as a GM led to either being completely incompatable with an already established world or the character dying and the player getting upset because they can't have their character find that lost love, regain the kingdom, or whatever. My current game, each character started with about 3 sentences to get them established. And sometimes a new character can get introduced in a place not considered (party was in a different town and needed a guide) easier to introduce the new character there than wait a session for them to return to the place we had established as the "home town." When the character eas being made, I wouldn't have thought to place them there.
I've always looked at backstory as a fancy way of stating your character's motivation while including the past, present, and a potential future. Where did they come from? Why are they where they are now? Where are they potentially going within the story of the campaign?
Then be willing to throw it all out the door when you see a dragon's hoard
I had a player who had a large backstory for his PC that would've fit someone that was level 15. I told him, we're starting at level 1 so that doesn't quite fit here. I suggested he treat this game as the prologue for that PC. He was actually very receptive to the idea of it and approached it as a way to discover what a young and inexperienced version of his PC would be.
Professor, nice haircut. Looking sharp.
I’m a really big fan of cooperating with players to flesh out the framework of atheist backstories. Upto a point it’s a diminishing return as you’d pointed out, you can die quickly a low level.
For my group we generally hit 3-5 important bits on the background and then build out from there. I’ve found that the campaign world, if given space to breath and grow, will help the players and DM reveal the rest of the players stories.
The hair was a mistake, but thanks for the compliment!