For some characters, I'll have an idea about how they work mechanically first. Let's say I'm making a wizard. I'll ask myself "where did this person learn magic" and "why did this person decide to learn the spells they start the game with?"
Some practical tips, purely from my own personal perspective:
- Motivation is a really important part of one's character, and acts as a driving force for their goals and actions. In a game like PF, it is important that the character's motivations align with the campaign you're involved in. Before committing to anything, I think it is important to get at least a vague sense of the type of campaign the character is joining and what the goals will be. That way, you can tailor the backstory to ensure it allows for some motivation for the character to be involved in the plot. (There is nothing worse for me than seeing a character with a backstory that gives them no reason whatsoever to care about the campaign plot. I've seen some elaborate, lengthy backstories that end up being completely tone deaf to the themes and scope of the campaign, and leaves the character to tag along awkwardly for no apparent reason.)
- Never make the backstory more interesting than the plot of the campaign itself. It should be a broad sketch of the character's background (shaping their motivations and goals), not a long recitation of their prior super amazing deeds.
- Consider the location and history of the world you're in, and try to mesh your character idea into that. For example, if you want to play a wizard who specializes in enchantment magic, where would such a character likely come from? Where would he or she have studied? What about their background led them to specialize in enchantment over, say, evocation?
- I like to create a broad sketch of history and personality, but leave enough room for the character's specific traits to develop organically within the campaign. For example, I'm currently playing a Shoanti Shaman in Rise of the Runelords. I knew starting out that he would be very traditional and a proud meber of his people. As the campaign progressed, I expanded on that by adding extra touches, like a strong dislike for Chelaxians (given their history with the Shoanti) and some initial level of ignorance and stereotypical views of other cultures, like Varisians. It came up organically and was a bit of fun, all while being consistent with the previous background sketch and grounded in the campaign world.
- Give some thought to creating a character who is going to be able to mesh and work with other characters. Most PF campaigns are centered around groups of PCs that work together (and are premised on the assumption they can do so), so maybe leave any angsty loner characters for some other game. It's certainly not required, but I personally like playing characters that are at least somewhat likeable and social. That's partly because I play mostly online via Roll20 with people who I have no prior relationship with, so playing an easy going and likeable character makes it a little easier to engage with the other players and avoid any misunderstanding about whether it is me or the character who is acting like a jerk.
Motivation is most important I think. Why would your character choose a life of adventure that will probably end premature and violently?
I read a lot and often note ideas and minor characters that could serve as interesting backstories.
For instance, the former boss of Edmond Dantes in the Count of Monte Cristo. What would have happened to his family if the ship hadn't come in? Where would his children ended up?
Destitute and desperate, a good place to start a wanderers life? I went that route, modified, with a bard of mine and I felt it gave him a good reason to be a penniless wanderer just ready to step into a grand adventute, or lie unburied in some lost dungeon.
In my mind it needs to be intersting but not too grand, the character does end up as a wandering hobo afterall.
Hooks for the GM can be fun too, but I usually shy away from those too often... too many years of Shadowrun and sadistic GMs
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Step 1: Writing
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is what I do, but it works for me:
Start with the things that make your character uncool. Remember that deep down inside, everyone was a shmuck once. He may be a hero now, but at one point in time he was a nobody.
Next, I like to give my character quirks first and then figure out how he got them. I have a character with a limp and a missing finger. It was fun figuring out how it happened. Another character smokes cigars, and the story of how he picked up the little habit has helped define the character through 14 levels.
Your character is a big damn hero now. More stories about how awesome he is unnecessary. The time a drunk barbarian got beat up by a pack of street urchins is inherently more interesting that a story about the barbarian beating up 101 bugbears by himself.
Motivation is good, but what I like even more is a character that wishes he was doing something else. The guy who just wants to be a simple farmer, but has been caught up in events can be pretty compelling.
All the advice has been pretty good so far. The backstory doesn't need to be perfect. Just needs to add a little flavor to breathe some life into the character.
People have given some helpful advice, so I'll just link this from the PRD.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Here's my general approach.
1. Start with your character class and basic mechanics.
I think this goes without saying. Before you start a campaign, you probably have a rough concept in mind. A wizard, druid, oracle, etc. and perhaps even an archetype and a general build to get you to the higher levels. (Even if you aren't optimizing, plan your character for the mid levels, then work backwards to your starting level. It helps you plan out your character's arc efficiently).
2. If you haven't already, choose a race (and ethnicity, if applicable).
You have two options here: a race that "fits" the part of the world where the campaign takes place or begins, and one that doesn't. The former is easier because you don't have to explain anything. The latter is tougher, because you need to justify it, especially if the race is at odds with the dominant races in the region. This isn't to say that odd or unusual racial choices should not be played--the only wrong way to have fun is at the expense of someone else's fun--just that, if you are interested in creating a rich background story, then you have to answer the question of why they are there.
3. Roll your stats.
Or assign them via your point buy, or whatever method your GM is using. If you are rolling, your highs and lows will probably inform you about your character. Random methods like "4d6 drop the lowest" can still result in scores with big penalties. If you character ends up with a dump stat somewhere, what does that mean? Did they suffer a disease when they were young? Were they poisoned? Injured? Just have bad genetics? Or maybe they just got the short end of the stick?
How did extreme stats affect them while they were growing up? Were they bullied? Looked up to/admired? Were people afraid of them?
4. Determine the character's motivation.
Why is your character beginning this AP, or wanting to enter the life of adventuring? What makes them want to band together with other potential oddballs and misfits, and put his or her life in their hands? AP's are a bit easier since the motivation is usually built in, but you still have to provide some of the work. You might have to explain why your character is in a particular town or location on the given day, etc.
5. Choose your traits.
If you're using traits, identify the ones that reinforce your mechanical build. Choose campaign traits that expand on or help explain your motivation.
Sometimes #4 and #5 happen in the reverse order, are an iterative process, or are simultaneous. Or, your build in #1 may choose your mechanical traits ahread of time, leaving only your campaign traits here.
6. Determine who else you know (PC's).
Identify one or two other PC's in the party that you have known for a while. You are good friends, family members (even distant relations), even lovers. Anything that gives you close ties to one or more of the other characters that goes back a several months to several years. This helps with #4 and "why do you trust these people enough to risk your life?" Work with them to establish how you know them, and what shared experiences you may have had in the past.
7. Determine who else you know (NPC's).
Who do you know in town? What establishments does your character frequent? If you're playing a loaner type, you probably still interact with people from time to time, just fewer of them. Who would those people be, and for what purpose? How often?
8. Who is your family?
Where are your parents from? How did they get to where they are? Are you still living with them, or in the same city? Same region? Did you leave home? Run away? Are they still alive? And so on.
Note: Be aware of the "deceased parents are best" trope. It's really, really common in fantasy RPG's. Again, there's not really a wrong way to have fun or design a character, but are you using this trope because you have an original story, or are you using it just because it sounds good? If your goal is a rich background, you want to find an original angle and make your parents/family three-dimensional people, not cutouts. The same goes for the abusive parents, neglectful parents, and dumb parents tropes.
Are they wealthy? Are you? Do they approve of what you're doing? Did they provide financial assistance? Are your relationships strained, and if so, why?
9. What are your flaws?
Nobody's perfect, and neither is your character. Everyone's a jerk sometimes. Everyone's flawed. Identify them and embrace them.
This one is all about avoiding Mary Sue characters. Again, there is no "wrong fun" here, but Mary Sue is a particularly noticeable trope. You want your character to be three dimensional, which means having character flaws, making mistakes in life, and in general being a real person with real issues and real problems.
If your background is all about how wonderful your character was, admired by everyone, and could do no wrong, then you are in Mary Sue territory. It will come crashing down as soon as die rolls start going the wrong way (which they inevitably will).
10. Start putting it together.
At this point, you have a lot of pieces of information and it's time to start making connections. You might even iterate, making changes here and there as elements of their background start to solidify.
______________
The above order isn't set in stone, of course. Really, only #1 needs to come first. But this is a decent framework for piecing together a background.
There is one hard and fast rule, though, and The Steel Refrain has commented on it: if you are starting at Levels 1 to 3, as most campaigns do, your characters have not led rich, fulfilling lives. A level 1 barbarian did not slaughter his or her enemies in battle prior to starting their adventuring life. A level 1 rogue was not a master thief in their home town. That' s not how Level 1 works. Their background should make some mechanical sense. Bending the rules is fine since a character background is essentially fanfic and some dramatic license makes for a richer story, but like spices in cooking, a little goes a long way.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lot of overlap here, but this is my 'standard' method.
1st, Make the character.
2nd Explain the character. What feats did you choose, what Skills did you choose? Who taught them that, why did they learn it? Regardless of what level you are, you're starting out better at something than the level 0 characters around you. Why is that?
3rd Where is he from? By now you typically have Race and starting location picked out, what does that mean to you? Were you born in Sandpoint, or did you arrive before the game starts? why? In what way did the character's race affect his life so far? A dwarf fighter, A merfolk fighter, A dhampir fighter should all have vastly different personalities and background stories.
4th) My personal favorite step. Pick 3 Allies and Pick 3 Enemies. They don't have to be world shattering, but they should mean something to your character. The Teacher who trained him his first spell, His sister who helped raise him, A grandfather who's a merchant in town.... A bully who bothered you in fight club, a rival for a girl you liked, A landlord who threw you out when you were young...
Pretty much anything and then just hand it off to the DM. Sometimes it'll get used, sometimes it won't... but there is a massive dose of excitement when you hear a hostage you recognize as an old girlfriend or that the random bandit leader was an old bully you know. There's a connection to the plot that EVERYONE ELSE running the same modules... won't have.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I particularly like The Steel Refrain's ideas. Some of my own:
- Be concise. The GM is going to have to read it. Keep to an absolute maximum of two pages. It's fine if it's only half a page.
- Secrets that never come into the open might as well not exist. Think of your backstory as stuff that is eventually going to be revealed. Think about how it might be revealed. Come up with several ways to leak it into the campaign.
Maybe your character has a tendency to refer to a couple of life-shaping events in his past; "This is like during The War, we were trapped in a fortress with enemies all around us, and then our XO said..."
Or there are people around that you've lost track of, but with whom you still have unfinished business (or they with you). The GM can engineer to have them show up or you run into them or them be involved with a plot you run into.
Again, don't overdo it; 1-3 big life events is enough, otherwise you just dilute all the story-exposure you get to do.
The main point: you want your past to come haunt you.
- Hooks hooks hooks. Use the background to make it clear what your character hopes to achieve in the future, and why. And what people know him for. Don't be a mysterious stranger, because that just makes it harder for the GM to bring interesting things to you. Instead, be known for a couple of things ("in wizard school I was always writing ambitious papers about otherplanar things"; "after hours I always hang out at that bar, and often end up talking with strangers looking for a friendly ear").
Give the GM a good opening to have adventure approach your character.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
First I come up with my characters general personality and his defining traits. Then I ask why he has those traits. Usually answering that leads to more questions. That will typically fill 1 or 2 pages which as already mentioned is the goal length. Leaving a few hooks in your backstory is great and has lead to some of my favorite adventures(several based on other people's backstories). A few quirks and twists are nice to add just don't over do it
Defining Traits
-Paranoia
-Racist against gnomes(its all a big conspiracy run by those little devils)
-Worships dragons fanatically
-Always tries to be good although the above do interfere
Causes
-Raised by an anti government group
-Mentor was killed by a gnomish plot
-Normal religion where he was raised. Happened to be exceptionally pious
-Naturally a caring person
Questions
-What is his current relation to the anti government group?
-What does he know about the gnomes involved?
-Why do the locals worship dragons?
-To what extent does his nature curb his prejudice?
-etc.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I think the key with backstory is brief hooks. It needs to be short and have a hook. "My mother died in a mysterious blue fire" is okay, it gives a specific hook for a gm.
"I was dared by a friend to steal Professor Goggyworts undies" is better. Now other players can hook in, either as the daring friend, classmates, or the professor. This backstory is open we don't know if the dare was attempted let along successful.
It is an art but I think a good backstory should have hooks for players and the dm to work in with. The best work in the characters motivation as well.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
For me, on both sides of the screen, there are a few things I favor over others types of backstory. I am also sort of a assuming a few things here, (like we are talking about a starter Level 1 Pathfinder Character).
To be honest, while some folks love to write long, in depth, poetic backstories, in many cases, they will probably be the only person that ever reads them or is overly interested in them. Try to focus on keeping it fairly short, a few paragraphs, and allowing for others who might read it to come up with a few hooks. Leave room for the story to continue. It doesn't, and shouldn't be completed before the game even starts, but rather a set up to jump off from, and then expand during. If you feel like (or really, really, really want) to write a book and/or show off your writing talents, that is fine. Do it for yourself and enjoy it. However, more likely than not, I am only going to scan it, not pay too much attention, and probably not care nearly as much about much of it that you do. No offense, but that's likely what is going to happen with a lot of folks reading it. It might be a good idea to write a second backstory that is much more condensed and focused, and offer that one up to others, and suggest that if they liked it and want to learn more, they can then check out the full version you have also written.
Avoid telling everyone just how bad you had it, just how poorly you where treated, how much prejudice you faced, etc. . . People get it. Mention and hint at it, give an example or two throughout, but don't dwell on it and make that the entire focus of the story. There is certainly a degree that these sorts of things mold your character, but the big difference here is we want to see your character and how it turned out and where they came from, not focus on all of the other things that others did to your character. Show, don't tell.
Talk about a few things that where important to the character, but not directly about the character themselves. Tell a short story about a major event the character was present at, and maybe how the event changed the character, made them think differently, or had some meaning to the character, but not about how the character was so awesome and resolved that event.
Keep in mind, in most cases, you backstory is intended to be your jumping off point, your start. It's the part that tells how you made it into and survived boot camp before being allowed to move on to the actual war, and not the story about how you came back from that war an epic hero(ine) with legendary weapons and archmage spellcasting mastery. There are exceptions to this, depending on what game you are playing, what level you are starting, etc. . ., but for a typical level 1, (or even starting level 2-5), those are the sorts of things you should be looing forward to in the future, not having already done them.
Make sure you incorporate some personal failures. How you lost a duel fair and square, you went in for a test of magical talent/proficiency and didn't make the cut, or whatever. These things add interesting character to your character, and something to work at, and also remind everyone, including you, that failure is a possibility, but also not a debilitating one. Show, (do not tell) how you where able to stand back up after you where nocked down, maybe even a few times. Do not try to focus on how unfair or how bad the knock down itself was.
Depending on some of the metagame circumstances involved, it might also be a good idea to try to insert some hooks that allow the other characters to also be a part of it. For me, personally, I generally don't care for this approach, but it can work well sometimes. If the group is supposed to know each other before the game, than make sure you leave some openings for this, preferably in a way that other people reading your backstory might be intrigued and offer to join in on that hook rather than something like, "Ok, I have Hook 1, Hook 2, and Hook 3 here."
|
|
Yeah, all in all, be vague enough that other people (like the GM) can hook in on your backstory. Don't nail everything down in detail, focus on broad narrative explaining the basic meaning, how the incidents form a narrative.
Enable the GM to take advantage of the story; trust him to do so in a fun way, not a mean way.
I've found that coming up with a long list of questions for a wide variety of contingencies, while not directly writing backstory, can give you a good idea of where you want to go with it, after you answer it for your current character.
Thnx peps, now i really have an idea how my char could work.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is rather more on the abstract side, but 'a picture is worth a thousand words' - and I'm not talking about having or using artwork here. A fixation or focus on mental imagery is a gateway to all kinds of free-association of ideas and concepts.
If you can picture - and I mean really viscerally inhabit, in great detail - a grand jungle vista with the sounds of birds and the smell of wet loamy life, with green-masked ruins and whispering spirits, with a tribal shaman or warrior or warrior-shaman standing in the middle of it all, you should immediately start to understand the character.
If you can picture a scimitar under a blazing desert sunset, in the hand of a backlit figure with stony eyes, the desert wind starting to whip around their outer garments as the sound of horses' hooves on sand draws closer, you can start writing a story right there.
Once you start to see it, the mind can naturally wander through it. Then it's just a matter of avoiding too much cliche and especially anti-cliche, always cutting the epic with some mundane, and remembering that contradictions in character are common, not strange.