I need help building backgrounds. [Archive] - Wizards Community

I need help building backgrounds. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
myusernameis
11-17-06, 02:37 AM Heyah, I consider myself a good roleplayer, a method actor really (I do alot of solo games and I spent 3 sessions in a row with my last character having her worry about and try to resolve the problems that arose due to her having 3 lovers because of her tendancy to fall in love easily), but I have one major downfall for roleplaying, I have a very hard time creating backstories for my characters. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer me advice for creating believable and interesting backgrounds for my characters, I could also use alot of help in refining minor quirks. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Daxen
11-17-06, 03:38 PM The character you mentioned is a hopeless romantic. How did she get that way? She also seems a bit too flippant when it comes to sharing her heart, if not her bed. Does she feel incomplete without that level of companionship? How would she react if one of her lover's killed another one.

As far as backgroud goes there are two ways to go about it. Write a story which will have the character develop certain quirks, or start with a list of quirks you wish to play and come up with feasible explanations of how they developed.

You really didn't give us much to work with. Some basics are What does your character hate and why? What drives her to wake in the morning? What is her last thought as she lays down her head for the night? Has she been mistreated by someone in her past? Did her first true love die in some horribly tragic event that she still blames herself for? It is all up to you. I reccomend free writing for a while. Just put pen to paper and jot down ideas, shape it into a story and if you are truely as much of a method actor as you claim. The story will do a great deal of the work for you.

Hope that helps
\
Dax
leather_book_wizard
11-17-06, 04:27 PM I agree with Daxen,aye.
WhrenKehrsyn
11-19-06, 02:38 AM Daxen hit it right on the head. Im a firm believer that to create a solid backround all you need to do is ask why. Like he said, look at your characters quirks, and the way they respond to things and just ask why. Answer that and youve build a backround
myusernameis
11-22-06, 05:16 PM Sorry for not responding, I didn't mean that character specifically, I meant just my characters in general. Backgrounds are something I've always had alot of difficulty with.
Daxen
11-23-06, 04:23 AM The methodology is universal. If you cannot come up with a story from the beginning, then proceed to designing the character as a person. Understand his/her motivations and come up with explanations for those attributes. Any further advice that will be truely meaningful would have to be on a case by case basis.

I really reccomend free writing. This doesn't even have to be full sentences. Ideas of past events, quirks, motivations, likes, dislikes... the list goes on. Take each of these little snipets and try to expand on them individually, many will lead nowhere. Do not be afraid to discard those.

When you find something that spirals outward and gives the character more focus and depth, you have stumbled on the beginnings of a background. Get a solid list of these, preferably 3 or more, (depending on how long/involved) you want the background to be. After taking each individually out as far as you like or it will go, whichever comes first, blend them together.

Remember a background need not be a linear story, it is simply a tool to find what "method actors" are famed for asking "motivation". I think that you will find that this will help. Though it will not come easily, it will come.

All this being said, be careful not to "pigeon hole" a character. A good story is wasily ruined in the over telling. A hero loses his shine when too much is revealed. To know a thing is to control it, and to control a thing is to become it's slave.

I hope that my ramblings are of some assistance.

Dax :)
Zepherion
11-23-06, 06:21 PM I've got a question as well involving writing backgrounds....

I'm new to D&D and I've made a lvl three monk with the help of my DM. I was wondering though, when it comes to backgrounds and I want to put in specific names of towns/cities, etc, do I just make them up?

I am used to more of somewhat of a structure, I've roleplayed in WoW for awhile now and D&D seems to be a big change to me.

So I was just wondering if anyone had an answer/help for me.

Thanks Bunches,

~Zepherion

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
myusernameis 11-17-06, 02:37 AM	Heyah, I consider myself a good roleplayer, a method actor really (I do alot of solo games and I spent 3 sessions in a row with my last character having her worry about and try to resolve the problems that arose due to her having 3 lovers because of her tendancy to fall in love easily), but I have one major downfall for roleplaying, I have a very hard time creating backstories for my characters. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer me advice for creating believable and interesting backgrounds for my characters, I could also use alot of help in refining minor quirks. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Daxen 11-17-06, 03:38 PM	The character you mentioned is a hopeless romantic. How did she get that way? She also seems a bit too flippant when it comes to sharing her heart, if not her bed. Does she feel incomplete without that level of companionship? How would she react if one of her lover's killed another one. As far as backgroud goes there are two ways to go about it. Write a story which will have the character develop certain quirks, or start with a list of quirks you wish to play and come up with feasible explanations of how they developed. You really didn't give us much to work with. Some basics are What does your character hate and why? What drives her to wake in the morning? What is her last thought as she lays down her head for the night? Has she been mistreated by someone in her past? Did her first true love die in some horribly tragic event that she still blames herself for? It is all up to you. I reccomend free writing for a while. Just put pen to paper and jot down ideas, shape it into a story and if you are truely as much of a method actor as you claim. The story will do a great deal of the work for you. Hope that helps \ Dax
leather_book_wizard 11-17-06, 04:27 PM	I agree with Daxen,aye.
WhrenKehrsyn 11-19-06, 02:38 AM	Daxen hit it right on the head. Im a firm believer that to create a solid backround all you need to do is ask why. Like he said, look at your characters quirks, and the way they respond to things and just ask why. Answer that and youve build a backround
myusernameis 11-22-06, 05:16 PM	Sorry for not responding, I didn't mean that character specifically, I meant just my characters in general. Backgrounds are something I've always had alot of difficulty with.
Daxen 11-23-06, 04:23 AM	The methodology is universal. If you cannot come up with a story from the beginning, then proceed to designing the character as a person. Understand his/her motivations and come up with explanations for those attributes. Any further advice that will be truely meaningful would have to be on a case by case basis. I really reccomend free writing. This doesn't even have to be full sentences. Ideas of past events, quirks, motivations, likes, dislikes... the list goes on. Take each of these little snipets and try to expand on them individually, many will lead nowhere. Do not be afraid to discard those. When you find something that spirals outward and gives the character more focus and depth, you have stumbled on the beginnings of a background. Get a solid list of these, preferably 3 or more, (depending on how long/involved) you want the background to be. After taking each individually out as far as you like or it will go, whichever comes first, blend them together. Remember a background need not be a linear story, it is simply a tool to find what "method actors" are famed for asking "motivation". I think that you will find that this will help. Though it will not come easily, it will come. All this being said, be careful not to "pigeon hole" a character. A good story is wasily ruined in the over telling. A hero loses his shine when too much is revealed. To know a thing is to control it, and to control a thing is to become it's slave. I hope that my ramblings are of some assistance. Dax :)
Zepherion 11-23-06, 06:21 PM	I've got a question as well involving writing backgrounds.... I'm new to D&D and I've made a lvl three monk with the help of my DM. I was wondering though, when it comes to backgrounds and I want to put in specific names of towns/cities, etc, do I just make them up? I am used to more of somewhat of a structure, I've roleplayed in WoW for awhile now and D&D seems to be a big change to me. So I was just wondering if anyone had an answer/help for me. Thanks Bunches, ~Zepherion