tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260588866410070838.post8945770427767061742..comments2023-10-31T11:35:53.848-04:00Comments on Beneath the Screen: How do you use character backstories?Storytellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10543093412299841092noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260588866410070838.post-28878329820818683932009-07-02T16:55:21.122-04:002009-07-02T16:55:21.122-04:00Fire always works too :)Fire always works too :)Storytellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543093412299841092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260588866410070838.post-44396165458909894122009-07-02T01:03:22.942-04:002009-07-02T01:03:22.942-04:00Well, there was this one time... Wait, no, I think...Well, there was this one time... Wait, no, I think their inn burned down or something. Oops.Flashman85https://www.blogger.com/profile/05803594092301739957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260588866410070838.post-24919706156706034062009-07-01T23:16:05.474-04:002009-07-01T23:16:05.474-04:00@Flashman85: You make a lot of great points. I'...@Flashman85: You make a lot of great points. I've seen backstories on both ends of the spectrum - ones written just for the sake of having something on paper with virtually nothing to work from, and ones that only have a couple sentences worth reading while the rest is pure fluff.<br /><br />Have you ever found opportunities to use backstories in a way that <i>didn't</i> have to do with capturing a family member or loved one?Storytellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543093412299841092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260588866410070838.post-19272122791825951312009-07-01T09:48:15.962-04:002009-07-01T09:48:15.962-04:00I like that intro to your backstory. Reminds me of...I like that intro to your backstory. Reminds me of myself...<br /><br />As you know, I'm big into having character backstories before starting a campaign... the only problem is that all too often my players never get around to it.<br /><br />Honestly, I don't need a novella detailing a character's esoteric family history, shampoo preferences, etc.--in fact, I prefer not to have anything that long. If a player can highlight his or her character's personality, mission, motivations, and other things that I can directly use when plotting out a quest, it doesn't matter if the backstory is a paragraph or several pages (though it is a pleasure to read an actual <i>story</i>.<br /><br />I can usually do without things that are above and beyond what I as a DM am likely to use or need to know to work with this character effectively (such as the name of his uncle twice removed's dog), unless it's entertainingly written. I want a backSTORY, not a FACTstory.<br /><br />As a player, I love writing backstories. It's helpful to figure out in advance how I want to play my character; improv character development never goes in a direction I want to stick with for very long. I don't mind if my backstory never becomes a part of the campaign (because, let's face it, that ALWAYS involves a loved one getting captured and/or killed), but I like it when the GM at least acknowledges that they've read my backstory by throwing in a reference only I would get.<br /><br />The best D&D campaign I ever threw was the Head Wizard quest, which I'm sure you remember, where two of my players' backstories filled in the gaps in the plot I was mapping out, so their histories helped to shape the entire quest, and there was a player investment there that I've rarely seen.Flashman85https://www.blogger.com/profile/05803594092301739957noreply@blogger.com