Great Character Backstories 101 - Playing RPGs

A Player Character's history can determine much of their future. Here's some suggestions and tips for approaching and incorporating backstories into your game as both a Player and as a Game Master.

Guest starring Todd, Mike, and Dweebles

00:00 Intro
01:32 Verify the GM's Plan
02:46 Verify it Fits
03:11 Give Players a Direction
03:28 Use the Map
06:03 Make it Appropriate
06:54 How Much Backstory?
08:24 How Did You Get Here?
10:04 No Complete Secrets
11:10 95% is the Player's Responsibility
17:26 Be Patient
19:26 Can't Always Be Used
22:29 Closing

[Pile_of_carbon]

The argument that 95 % of backstory integration is the players' responsibility is really good.
The GM keeps track of:
... 500+ pages of rules.
... a dozen or so potential opponents.
... what has happened.
... what is happening.
... what happens later as a result.
... traps in the area and the ways to circumvent them.

Player: "I can't believe he forgot about my sick sister..."

Yea, he's only human, supposedly.

[zterrans]

I played with a guy who had a super-experienced level 1 character. His story was he used to be a hero while younger, but then got caught up in his own fame, got used to decadence and simply grew older, fatter, and drunker until he was back to being an out-of-shape, out-of-training nothing working his way back up.

[dark_natas_]

Thank you for taking about the level one "super hero" background

[ChrisMoneymakerDHRG]

The Star Bar did a great job of driving your point home

[scottjones]

Space Whiskey is carefully aged in Space Casks in space.

[Treblaine]

"how did your character get here"
Well it all started about 50 years ago when 2 Jedi Knights headed to a planet called Naboo for trade negotiations over a blockade...

[shadowgreek]

WILL DWEEBLES FIND OUT HIS REAL NAME?

WILL SETH BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE IGNORANT MASSES ON PROPER PLAYER ETIQUETTE?

WILL MIKE FINALLY PUNCH AN OMACRON?

TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO FIND OUT!

[fukyomammason]

Backstory should be an open door, not a hallway.

[AlluMan]

When it comes to writing characters for a tabletop game, I think a really important part of backstories is to not fret over the specific details and that it's actually better if you don't write any more backstory than the DM asks of you.. Alot of times when people think about "writing a backstory", they think about diligently laying out every detail of a character's life complete with a cast of characters and setting to go with it. However, I have personally always felt that those specific details are better to fill in later. When you are making your character, the most important is to figure out "What *kind* of life did they have?" and "How does this lifestyle show in their personality".


When writing a noble, who has escaped his troubled home life, instead of writing a thousand pages worth of political intrigue of every noble in the area, their vendettas with one another and the copious methods by which that character has been attempted to be murdered, kidnapped or compromised, brushing past that with a simple "Being a noble, there were many families among both the low-lives and the highborn that wanted me dead and the attempted poisoning of my food at parties or the need to look out for political assassins very quickly became the norm for me".


From my experiences, the latter tends to work out better. It sets a simple baseline to figure out how my character acts and given the player's blessings, the DM can have an easier time weaving their that backstory or elements of it into his story and world. What's even better? It's never too late to go back and add some layers and details to the backstory after the fact. Some of the most pivotal and important moments of the backstory of one of the best characters I ever played weren't established until 3 to 4 sessions into the campaign. It worked, because instead of pulling my hair out trying to have the full picture complete by the first session and letting all the baggage of a backstory I threw together pretty much in a panic get in the way of writing his personality, I first had the character's most important part, how he acts, down, letting any developments and details come to me more naturally.


That's not to say there shouldn't be any details about the backstory. After all, it's moments that make a person. Just that when writing a piece of backstory to a character, it is always good to evaluate how important that detail is to how the person acts. If it's just kinda there and it doesn't actually mean much to the character, it's better not in there, because that piece of fluff is now taking the space of a moment of detail that could be adding something substantial to his identity, just that you haven't quite figured it out.

[HoundofOdin]

Currently working on a "water world" campaign and a player wants to make a desert nomad character. I had to go back and listen to you give that example three times before I believed what I heard.

[olilea]

I'm a novelist who recently got into D&D. I think the fact that you're a writer is the reason I find your roleplaying advice really relatable. Thanks for this!

[jeffreyadamo]

I kind of wish Seth was as prolific as some of the DM YouTubers because he’s the best in the game.

[Anacronian]

The best character I ever played had a backstory like this "I was a farmer but lost the farm due to a random kobold attack" (I joined a game I didn't expect to join so pretty much everything about my character was just thrown together) I played that guy for 8 years and had a blast.


What I'm saying is that backstories are great and can really widen your experience as a player, But at the end of the day it really is how you play him/her that matters.

[agsilverradio]

I never *expect* GMs to incorperate backstorys, (unless the said they would, ) but I do enjoy placing tidbit in my backstory, that the GM *can* use, if they so chouse to.

If left unspecified by the GM I try to give an 1 - 3 page backstory story, with a TLDR bulletpoint version at the end.

[momolight]

Party member: “Hey dude where are you from?”
Me, the distrustful rogue: “Oh me? I’m from the land of Somewhereoranother.”

[Konpekikaminari]

here's a little pro tip I have for those who want to up their writing
choose a theme song for the character- not as in theme to play when character has a moment, but one to play as you write
e.g "How To Save a Life" upgraded a character I once had from "Monster hunter from Yarnham-inspired town" to a tale about losing someone, overcoming that loss, and a search of purpose

[RVR]

Well i did go on the adventure to fight the dragon and save the princess of Soanso where we fought goblins, evil wizards and navigated the labyinth maze of alter doom but i left out the detail where i was just the bag boy for the knight and his party of badasses...so technically i did. - Level 1 adventurer with cool backstory.

[bosshogg]

Thanks Seth! I appreciate you giving my hometown of Sum’ware’er’anuther a shout out!

[BlackBirdGameChannel]

A good backstory is so important! It makes the character interesting and new even months after he/she was introduced.

[Incrediblefatslug]

Quality as usual. Thanks again for the great content. Can't wait to incorporate what i learned