How to write an interesting background [Archive] - Wizards Community

How to write an interesting background [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LiXinjian
01-28-05, 10:46 AM How to write an interesting background
an article by LiXinjian

Many DMs request detailed backgrounds from their players, and many players seem truly lost when that time comes. Some are quick to adopt the minimalist approach, promptly jotting down a few ideas, listing relatives and all in all writing a background that’s about eight sentences long. Others take the opposite route and go on and on about the past lives of their characters, romancing every possible details until it get tedious for their DM to read (I have personally seen backgrounds that were seven pages long and yet contained very little meaningful information about the character). As you no doubt have guessed, the proper form lies somewhere in between those two extremes. However, background-writing is a craft that seems to elude many players, and some even have no conception of its usefulness whatsoever.

The following is meant to be a short guide or “how to” article designed to help dumbfounded players decide what belongs into a background, and what doesn’t; to help players feel a much-needed assurance when the time comes to describe - in a few pages maximum – their character’s past. It is heavily tainted with my own preferences and experiences, and some DMs might not agree with everything that’s mentioned in this article. However, I guarantee that if you abide by the rules and suggestions given below, your DM will be impressed by the quality of your background – even if he insists you rework some minor details that conflict with his DMing philosophies and background preferences.

A)Goals
The purpose of a background is to give the DM some insight into your character’s persona. It also serves to help him devise personal quests for your character, and adapt plot hooks accordingly, by taking elements from your character’s past and weaving them into his current storyline, either as a major plot, or as a distracting sidequest.

A background is also a window into your character’s soul, through his past as imagined by you. It aims to explain some of the traits you will be exhibiting as you play your character at the gaming table. That is why I believe that, as a general rule, all the information contained within a background (with very few exceptions) should abide by the following caveat:
“If it doesn’t affect your character as you are going to play him/her during the game, don’t bother writing it down.”

B)Qualities
A good background is as concise as possible, but not at the expanse of quality. You want to provide information that is pertinent and appropriate, and make sure that it is understandable. Generally, a few pages (1-3) is more than enough. However, some DMs insist on a certain amount of words or number of pages, so be sure to check with your DM before sitting down to write.

A good background gives plot material to the DM, elements he can fashion into the desired shape. Therefore, it is detailed, but sketchy at the same time. It contains holes and uncertainties, willfully left vacant for the DM to fill at his leisure. Like a potter needs his clay, so too does the DM need creative freedom to produce anything of interest from your material.

C)Common Mistakes

Listing Relatives
With a few exceptions, DMs don’t care much about your character’s relatives. I know I don’t. You can name a few important NPCs that have a hand in your character’s life, and suggest their profession if it is important to your character somehow, but don’t bother listing them all. Listing one or two major relatives (friends or family) is usually enough. The only use I’ve found so far for relatives’ names is that if the DM wishes to pull a NPC from your past for whatever reason, he can pick a name you already know – and thus avoid the clumsy “Oh, by the way, Garrick is your cousin, on your mother’s side”.

Many players take pains to name every possible relatives, to mention their age, their sex and their occupations. They feel this is the most important part of their character’s background, and figure this is the kind of information their DM is looking for. However, this is far more likely the kind of information that gets overlooked and discarded with a casual glance by most DMs.

The details that bind
Think of a story as a box. A box can only contain so much before it bursts open, useless. Similarly, if you put too many details in your background, you take away the creative freedom the DM desperately needs to use the information you give him in a personal fashion that’s tailor-cut to his campaign.

Instead, focus on giving hints and general ideas about your character’s life. If you think something would be cool or fun to try in-game, simply state it as such, but leave room for the DM to have his say. “I think it would be cool if the killers of my character’s mother were some infected lycanthropes who remember nothing about the senseless act of brutality they performed”. The DM is free to act on your idea, or come up with his own. The point is, you made a suggestion: you didn’t try to bind his hands but instead attempted to get his creative juices flowing. Every DM loves that.

Also avoid putting your wish-list into your background, as a blatant mean to make it legitimate. That only serves to annoy your DM, and make him reel against your ideas and your nerves. If your character seeks some important item and you feel compelled to give a hint as to its powers, be general and avoid giving specific, game-term information about it (“It’s a +3 keen vorpal scimitar of speed, but my character doesn’t know that”). Don’t presume to tell him what belongs into his game, and the way he should go about making you acquire your heart’s desires. Instead worry about making your character interesting, and he’ll worry about coming up with a campaign that’s entertaining.

Romancing
While it is certainly possible to romance a background, a good romance isn’t necessarily a good background. Facts should dominate a well-written background, and if romance is getting in the way of that, then you have a problem. Try to think of things to put in the box first, then worry about making the package appealing.

Romancing can, however, enhance significantly a good background if the writing style somehow matches the character’s persona, or serves to further define or refine it. For instance, if your bard only speaks and rimes, and you write down a background where every other sentence rimes with the one that comes right before it, you certainly are contributing in a positive way to your background. But if you go on and on about your bard’s charnel conquests, describe them in details and then spin the tales of his meaningless run-ins with the law, then the romance is getting the better of your judgment. Not to mention your background is turning out to be unecessarily long.

If you enjoy writing, simply make sure the facts are all in there before you start going for the gusto. Also make sure those facts are not drowned in a sea of words and symbolism, of course, or you might be surprised when the DM starts talking about “the creek that runs outside your hometown” and you reply “ What creek? There is no creek in Georgeville! That was a metaphor!”

D) Final Suggestions

In most cases, the events matter more than the places, so if you don’t know the setting you will be playing in, don’t be afraid to leave geographical references aside. You can always work with the DM to position your hometown on his world map, or pick an existing one from his game world later. If necessary, find a moment during the week to discuss and pin down your hometown or any other important locale.

Happy people lead very boring lives. At least, to anyone observing them for entertainment purposes. At the heart of every good story is conflict. Conflicts can occur, as far as I know, on three levels: Self, Family and Friends, and Society. To spice up your character’s history, do not be afraid to introduce unresolved conflicts that continue to shape his personality or his life. A well-designed conflict can turn a boring character into a fantastic roleplaying opportunity. Like the paladin that isn’t sure he can trust his judgment anymore, and fears he cannot tell right from wrong, good from evil.

The single most defining moment of your character’s life should probably be the one that brought him into the adventurer’s lifestyle. Whether it’s an avalanche that carried his shack hundreds of miles away, the brutal murder of his family or the theft of an important heirloom, it’s always good to end your background with a re-statement of the reasons that lead your characters towards a life of adventure. Such hooks will not only help draw your character into the game, they will also make your character much more interesting to introduce to the other players (or even NPCs).

You can also freely add notes as to how you will be playing your character during the game, how you perceive him to be, and what you expect he will try to achieve in the distant future. You can place these last words on a different sheet of paper, or simply place them at the bottom of the page. Those are the kinds of information *you* really cannot do without. Basically, everything that helps define your character belongs in your background, or as an annex anyways.

There you have it. It’s a bit long-winded, but I sure hope it will help players who are at the end of their ropes trying to write a compelling background – or any background at all.
As usual, I welcome any comment and constructive criticism.
Trydan
01-31-05, 07:00 AM This is a nice article, and it makes some very useful points. I particularly concur on the issue of background relevance. It is very easy for verbose background-writers to start writing not their character's background, but the background of someone else (be it the local ruler, villain, parents, or whoever). So, if a sentence is not describing something with your character in it, then it should be given careful consideration as to why it is there.

Another point arising from the above article, is that some of us like to write detailed backgrounds for our characters. However, if you do, then consider writing a short summary or abstract. Or even bullet points. The reason for this, is that it helps focus the DM's mind on what you regard as important, and prevent the game being diverted unecessarily due to a really minor detail.

So... great article. Thanks LiXinjian!
Sang-Drax
11-10-06, 10:38 PM Bump.
Doomed_Penguin
11-11-06, 04:46 PM Huzzah!!! I shall, now and forever more, refer to this when making a character. Great Job!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LiXinjian 01-28-05, 10:46 AM	How to write an interesting background an article by LiXinjian Many DMs request detailed backgrounds from their players, and many players seem truly lost when that time comes. Some are quick to adopt the minimalist approach, promptly jotting down a few ideas, listing relatives and all in all writing a background that’s about eight sentences long. Others take the opposite route and go on and on about the past lives of their characters, romancing every possible details until it get tedious for their DM to read (I have personally seen backgrounds that were seven pages long and yet contained very little meaningful information about the character). As you no doubt have guessed, the proper form lies somewhere in between those two extremes. However, background-writing is a craft that seems to elude many players, and some even have no conception of its usefulness whatsoever. The following is meant to be a short guide or “how to” article designed to help dumbfounded players decide what belongs into a background, and what doesn’t; to help players feel a much-needed assurance when the time comes to describe - in a few pages maximum – their character’s past. It is heavily tainted with my own preferences and experiences, and some DMs might not agree with everything that’s mentioned in this article. However, I guarantee that if you abide by the rules and suggestions given below, your DM will be impressed by the quality of your background – even if he insists you rework some minor details that conflict with his DMing philosophies and background preferences. A)Goals The purpose of a background is to give the DM some insight into your character’s persona. It also serves to help him devise personal quests for your character, and adapt plot hooks accordingly, by taking elements from your character’s past and weaving them into his current storyline, either as a major plot, or as a distracting sidequest. A background is also a window into your character’s soul, through his past as imagined by you. It aims to explain some of the traits you will be exhibiting as you play your character at the gaming table. That is why I believe that, as a general rule, all the information contained within a background (with very few exceptions) should abide by the following caveat: “If it doesn’t affect your character as you are going to play him/her during the game, don’t bother writing it down.” B)Qualities A good background is as concise as possible, but not at the expanse of quality. You want to provide information that is pertinent and appropriate, and make sure that it is understandable. Generally, a few pages (1-3) is more than enough. However, some DMs insist on a certain amount of words or number of pages, so be sure to check with your DM before sitting down to write. A good background gives plot material to the DM, elements he can fashion into the desired shape. Therefore, it is detailed, but sketchy at the same time. It contains holes and uncertainties, willfully left vacant for the DM to fill at his leisure. Like a potter needs his clay, so too does the DM need creative freedom to produce anything of interest from your material. C)Common Mistakes Listing Relatives With a few exceptions, DMs don’t care much about your character’s relatives. I know I don’t. You can name a few important NPCs that have a hand in your character’s life, and suggest their profession if it is important to your character somehow, but don’t bother listing them all. Listing one or two major relatives (friends or family) is usually enough. The only use I’ve found so far for relatives’ names is that if the DM wishes to pull a NPC from your past for whatever reason, he can pick a name you already know – and thus avoid the clumsy “Oh, by the way, Garrick is your cousin, on your mother’s side”. Many players take pains to name every possible relatives, to mention their age, their sex and their occupations. They feel this is the most important part of their character’s background, and figure this is the kind of information their DM is looking for. However, this is far more likely the kind of information that gets overlooked and discarded with a casual glance by most DMs. The details that bind Think of a story as a box. A box can only contain so much before it bursts open, useless. Similarly, if you put too many details in your background, you take away the creative freedom the DM desperately needs to use the information you give him in a personal fashion that’s tailor-cut to his campaign. Instead, focus on giving hints and general ideas about your character’s life. If you think something would be cool or fun to try in-game, simply state it as such, but leave room for the DM to have his say. “I think it would be cool if the killers of my character’s mother were some infected lycanthropes who remember nothing about the senseless act of brutality they performed”. The DM is free to act on your idea, or come up with his own. The point is, you made a suggestion: you didn’t try to bind his hands but instead attempted to get his creative juices flowing. Every DM loves that. Also avoid putting your wish-list into your background, as a blatant mean to make it legitimate. That only serves to annoy your DM, and make him reel against your ideas and your nerves. If your character seeks some important item and you feel compelled to give a hint as to its powers, be general and avoid giving specific, game-term information about it (“It’s a +3 keen vorpal scimitar of speed, but my character doesn’t know that”). Don’t presume to tell him what belongs into his game, and the way he should go about making you acquire your heart’s desires. Instead worry about making your character interesting, and he’ll worry about coming up with a campaign that’s entertaining. Romancing While it is certainly possible to romance a background, a good romance isn’t necessarily a good background. Facts should dominate a well-written background, and if romance is getting in the way of that, then you have a problem. Try to think of things to put in the box first, then worry about making the package appealing. Romancing can, however, enhance significantly a good background if the writing style somehow matches the character’s persona, or serves to further define or refine it. For instance, if your bard only speaks and rimes, and you write down a background where every other sentence rimes with the one that comes right before it, you certainly are contributing in a positive way to your background. But if you go on and on about your bard’s charnel conquests, describe them in details and then spin the tales of his meaningless run-ins with the law, then the romance is getting the better of your judgment. Not to mention your background is turning out to be unecessarily long. If you enjoy writing, simply make sure the facts are all in there before you start going for the gusto. Also make sure those facts are not drowned in a sea of words and symbolism, of course, or you might be surprised when the DM starts talking about “the creek that runs outside your hometown” and you reply “ What creek? There is no creek in Georgeville! That was a metaphor!” D) Final Suggestions In most cases, the events matter more than the places, so if you don’t know the setting you will be playing in, don’t be afraid to leave geographical references aside. You can always work with the DM to position your hometown on his world map, or pick an existing one from his game world later. If necessary, find a moment during the week to discuss and pin down your hometown or any other important locale. Happy people lead very boring lives. At least, to anyone observing them for entertainment purposes. At the heart of every good story is conflict. Conflicts can occur, as far as I know, on three levels: Self, Family and Friends, and Society. To spice up your character’s history, do not be afraid to introduce unresolved conflicts that continue to shape his personality or his life. A well-designed conflict can turn a boring character into a fantastic roleplaying opportunity. Like the paladin that isn’t sure he can trust his judgment anymore, and fears he cannot tell right from wrong, good from evil. The single most defining moment of your character’s life should probably be the one that brought him into the adventurer’s lifestyle. Whether it’s an avalanche that carried his shack hundreds of miles away, the brutal murder of his family or the theft of an important heirloom, it’s always good to end your background with a re-statement of the reasons that lead your characters towards a life of adventure. Such hooks will not only help draw your character into the game, they will also make your character much more interesting to introduce to the other players (or even NPCs). You can also freely add notes as to how you will be playing your character during the game, how you perceive him to be, and what you expect he will try to achieve in the distant future. You can place these last words on a different sheet of paper, or simply place them at the bottom of the page. Those are the kinds of information you really cannot do without. Basically, everything that helps define your character belongs in your background, or as an annex anyways. There you have it. It’s a bit long-winded, but I sure hope it will help players who are at the end of their ropes trying to write a compelling background – or any background at all. As usual, I welcome any comment and constructive criticism.
Trydan 01-31-05, 07:00 AM	This is a nice article, and it makes some very useful points. I particularly concur on the issue of background relevance. It is very easy for verbose background-writers to start writing not their character's background, but the background of someone else (be it the local ruler, villain, parents, or whoever). So, if a sentence is not describing something with your character in it, then it should be given careful consideration as to why it is there. Another point arising from the above article, is that some of us like to write detailed backgrounds for our characters. However, if you do, then consider writing a short summary or abstract. Or even bullet points. The reason for this, is that it helps focus the DM's mind on what you regard as important, and prevent the game being diverted unecessarily due to a really minor detail. So... great article. Thanks LiXinjian!
Sang-Drax 11-10-06, 10:38 PM	Bump.
Doomed_Penguin 11-11-06, 04:46 PM	Huzzah!!! I shall, now and forever more, refer to this when making a character. Great Job!