Backstory 201: 7+1 Tips for Character Backstories - Playing RPGs

Here's 7 tips on making great Character Backstories that both you and your Game Master can get the most out of, as well as an additional option I prefer that can be incorporated alongside or instead of writing a backstory out.

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Guest starring Mike and Todd.

00:00 Intro
01:02 1 Provide Names
01:50 2 Make It Easy to Reference
05:05 3 The GM Has Final Approval
06:18 4 NPCs From the Past Aren't Static
07:53 5 The PC Should Continue Evolving
09:35 6 Tropes Aren't Bad
12:25 7 Link the Characters' Backstories
13:38 Buddies & Rivals
14:47 Ask a Survey of Questions
21:35 Closing

[trajyanus]

Agreed. What the Omicrons did is unforgivable!

[PlataIce]

One of our most memorable Pathfinder groups started when I made a Street-fighter(monk) halfling named Alfon Sheananagan who was fighting to make money to put his brother through Alchemist school. One of the other players laughed and changed the last name of his Halfling Alchemist to match and was now the brother I had put through school. By the time the dice hit the table all 5 players were Halflings brothers and cousins from the Sheananagan clan. The clan motto became "Not just any Halflings" after multiple sessions of NPCs questioning our ability to complete quests. "Really they sent a group of Halflings?" "We're not just any Halflings!! We're Sheananagans."

[RoninRaconteur]

This is something that can really make your campaign flow into something good or far more memorable. My son started his rogue swashbuckler smuggler as a man who wanted to just earn money until his grandparents who raised him were sitting in comfort. Then he would retire, grow old, and have like a hobbit hole type home. Over the course of the campaign his parents emerged and his grandparents were safe and very well taken care of, but he didn't retire. Instead he did a scene where he was about to leave then stopped himself choosing to come back for the group and for the greater things that were to be done. It was genius and beautiful to watch as a father and DM.

[zterrans]

We had a good campaign once where the party started off as a family, really short-cutted the whole " Why are we sticking together?"

[MonkeyJedi]

One tip I would recommend for the long backstories is something some authors do in the front pages of their books.
It is called a dramatis personae (Latin: "the masks of the drama"), the main characters in a dramatic work written in a list.
All of the characters in your backstory presented in a listing, grouped by either faction, location, or "side" (friends, enemies, neutrals).
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If you present this to your GM in double space, they can make notes of their own on that sheet. Or present it electronically, if your GM prefers.

[MaxWriter]

Loving what you have to say about this.

One player had a police detective investigator in my 1920s Call of Cthulhu game. His backstory included his wife disappearing in their house and the scandle meant he lost his job, his house, and ended up on the streets. He joined the others when I ran "The Madman" and when he was killed in that first scenario, he said "I call out my wife's name as I die." "Okay, " I said. "What do you say." He thought on it and then role played "My wife!" He had never named her.

I always have my players write their backstories from their character's pov. There have been many cases of the character thinking one thing, but it ending up being something completely different. One ranger was sure another ranger he worked with was guilty of something, but the other ranger was sure HE had done it as well. It took them finally meeting up and a trial before the truth came out: it was a third party entirely.

LOL. Love the Omicron bit.

[originaluddite]

One way to minimize the need for GM vetoing of backstory is to make sure the PCs have access to some basic description and parameters of the intended setting. Some GMs can provide copious notes describing their world but another way to do it is to have a few chats about what will or will not fit.

[pdubb]

DMs should provide an example backstory so players can see what format is desired. If a DM gives me 20 pages and says "this is what I am looking for, " then I am probably looking for a new DM. Regarding tropes: Players should collaborate on backstories, either to avoid all picking the same trope, or perhaps to use that commonality to strengthen their bonds and explain why they are adventuring together. In my game, two players gave me the "my parents were killed, I have to find the killer, avenge their deaths, and claim my inheritance" trope. I made it the same killer and made that killer a central villain in the campaign. There was a big reveal moment when both character's got a glimpse of face that they both remembered from their seemingly disparate pasts. If only I could inject that kind of drama into every session.

[richmcgee]

Tip 7 might be simultaneously the most under-used and most effective of the lot. Tying your PC to someone else's backstory is great for roleplaying potential, but so many people are shy about doing it.

[thegoodolddays]

About tropes, writing has existed for thousands of years. People have telling stories for as long as we've been talking.
You'll never totally avoid tropes, and if you did somehow come up with something 100% original, it's probably not that people haven't thought of it, just that it's not very good.
That isn't to say you shouldn't make your backstory unique, but you shouldn't worry about tropes.

[GoodOldGamer]

I like to give 3 npcs in my backstories so the DM can choose whichever one might fit best in the story, or whichever one they feel the most comfortable playing as. It also means I still get a bit of a surprise with whoever ends up showing up because I won't necessarily know ahead of time.

[gwynplaine]

One of the best things I've seen is the 'retroactive backstory' by a blog called tenfootpolemic. Basically, characters don't have anything more than an ultra-minimal backstory and as they level up their backstory is slowly uncovered.

[yaldabaoth]

The first Dragonlance novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight is really great when it comes to linking backstories. The group of friends split up 5 years ago and they agreed to meet again at the inn in Solace. Many things happened in the meantime and one of them is even mysteriously missing (hint, big bad connection for later) AND they are conveniently at a place where the campaign starts.

[GliderBane]

Elaborate backstory? With my brother as DM, there is only a 50% my character will make it out of 1st level. I shouldn't have tormented him when we were children, his desire for revenge is strong.

[Adrian_Lee]

I love the idea of adding questions for players to answer during character creation.

[Captainnsaneo]

"and one day I'm gonna get 'em"
"Well, you see I had a very troubled childhood." -Dr Evil.

[nooctip]

My favorite method of getting the group together is from Spirit of the Century. When making their background each charecter comes up with a short synopsis of an adventure they had in their youth. Then the players mix up the backgrounds anfd hand them out to a different player. That player then writes a few sentences about how they ran into the main player during their adventure and helped them out.

[Sofus.]

I really like that Seth has his own opinions, because to many just adopt the opinion of an online personality. 👏

[sophiescott]

Tropes are the things that make up a story. Trying to write a story without tropes is like trying to bake a cake without ingredients. Literally all aspects of a story are tropes. And there are lots and lots of ways to play with a trope.

[nalijapetek]

Watching this an idea for a character popped up: A tax collector going after the bad guy to collect taxes that the bad guy hasn't payed for years.