Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Issmortor 01-14-05, 12:48 PM	I'm sure this has been done many times before, so sorry for reapeating it, but i need to know... What 'steps' do you take to write out the history/background for your characters? Like how there can be 'steps' to writing an essay: [[[a persuasive essay for example: 1-who are you writing to? 2-what are you trying to tell the person about? 3-what is your opinion on what is happening? 4-list reasons, etc. 5-closing.]]] but anyway, what should be included in the history? how long should it be? how detailed/extensive? what else? thanks
Fasius 01-14-05, 01:04 PM	but anyway, what should be included in the history? how long should it be? how detailed/extensive? what else? thanks I think this part is purely personal. You should write as much as YOU think is necessary. It could be wise to write at least something about your character's past to give your DM some options, but that's just up to you and your DM. In my opinion you should write enough to make you feel familiar with your character, so that it can add to your roleplaying.
Darth K'Trava 01-14-05, 01:10 PM	Personally, I'm loathe to write any sort of history until I get a "feel" for the character. Although there was one that disliked paladins (way to "needle" a fellow player :devil: ) but that was the only one I wrote beforehand. But I'd rather see how I'm developing the character and then make a story that would back up how they came to act that way. Easier than keeping up with a multi-page story that, knowing me, I'd forget at least half during a game.
discipleofevil 01-14-05, 01:15 PM	mine always include the age, physical discription, personality (parinoid, doscile ect..) hometown, where if anywhere they have traveled, how and why they came to be the classes they are, and what is driving them to do whatever it is they are doing. you dont have to be to detailed, just enough so that it feels like you know the char a little. makes it easier to play the char. let the dm decide in more detail if he wants, but the more openings in the background the more fun things can happen. like if you have that you traveled faruen for 2 years and dont say where you went, perhaps the dm would make a short adventure where you go to someplace "you have been". and you have to lead them through a labrinth or something for example. it really does depend on the game though. if your campain is mostly a hack n slash and not a lot of rp then be more vague, no sense in wasting time on what isnt going to be used. the more rp centered the more detailed. just my opinion
Thoronmir 01-14-05, 02:58 PM	A character’s background begins to form when I decide what will be the PC’s motivation to adventure. Whether it be riches, glory, redemption, or just doing good deeds, my first thoughts of a PC center on why he became whatever he is at the start of the campaign. I then focus on how he became whatever he is. I try to weave tales of his family and friends, rivals and enemies into the tale of the PC’s evolution. If it melds well with the story, I drop in clues as to how he acquired and/or used his skills and abilities. I endeavor to write pieces illustrating all aspects of the character … how he’s behaved when he’s angry, how he’s reacted to kindness, how he’s felt about killing someone (if applicable), etc. I don’t stop writing background material once the campaign begins. I’ll usually use in-game events to segue into parts of the character’s history. For example, I was playing a PC who had Profession: Sailor and other nautical skills. As part of his Journal entry describing the party’s first foray into Skullport, I included references to the PC’s first time at sea. I typically insert several potential plot hooks into my backgrounds. Persons befriended, rivals antagonized, sweethearts loved, comrades betrayed … they all can appear in the campaign to muck up the party’s plans. To the extent allowed by the DM, I create places, organizations, etc., to breathe life into my PC’s background. Most PC backgrounds are written in third-person narrative, so I can include events and circumstances that my character may not know. For example, my aristocratic Rogue knew that his family had been ruined when his father risked all their wealth on a foolish investment. But he didn’t know (until later in the campaign when the DM decided to use this hook) that his family’s fall was actually the result of a scheme by his older brother, who was unwilling to wait for the family patriarch to pass on so he could inherit. With that simple premise, I was able to explain why a once-rich noble dilettante possessed of considerable charm and respectable physical skills would deign to associate with coarser adventurers. I like to tell stories. I like dramatic effect. The more I know about my character … his history, his motivations, his likes and dislikes … the easier it is for to me inhabit his skin for a few hours every other week and tell his story. I draw upon the vignettes in his background to roleplay current events. In my opinion, without that level of depth, D&D is just a table-top videogame.
Nani? 01-15-05, 01:00 PM	Here is one of my character backgrounds, something which I enjoy doing. It is for 1st level Rogue/5th level Sorceress w/ Draconic feats, set in a homebrew world.. If I were to redo this one I would make it less convoluted. On the other hand it does a good job explianing her attitudes, ablities, particularly her CG distrust of authority figures. It also give the DM plently of plot hooks to play with,wich my DM uses but does not abuse. I've also been told this is on is fun to read. BTW, when I DM I give bonus Xp for character backgrounds. Deisa Leonida Tonia Silvre, Alias Deisa D’handra, Youngest of five and only daughter of Thomas and Margo Antonia Silvre, her father was the youngest ever leader of the Order Militant of Augustus, an order of Paladins dedicated to the preservation of the Empire. The family was old, and was connected to a figure who would show up on few days every few years to look in on the family. When she was a little child it was commented upon how she had the look of Great Great Grandmother, including her unusual hair color. One day her father, mother, and her four brothers were dressed grandly for a very important event. The Emperor, who had been Thomas Silvre’s greatest mentor, had died. After a period of mourning the new Emperor was to be crowned. Deisa was judged to be too young to attend the formal ceremonies. Instead she was going to be wathced over by Great Great Grandmother who had come for one of her rare visits the day before, (how boring). What made it worse, her youngest brother Jon had teased her and bragged all day about being allowed to go after all, he was ten and she only eight. She coated his surcoat in itch powder as revenge. This is important. Because what Jon and she had witnessed the night before as they snuck down to see father and Great Great Grandmother arguing passionately, about the Empire, duty, propriety and other of what Jon called abstractions (whatever that was). Whatever happened, in the morning everything was apparently fine. Great Great Grandmother waved and stood next to her as she watched her parents and siblings leave in a fancy carriage. None of her family ever returned. The new Emperor, Julian chose his coronation to purge the nobility of those elements might be hostile to his rule. It was called “Coronation Massacre”. One third of the Imperial nobility died that day and their lands given to “new men” whose only loyalty was to Julian. The Order Militant was declared heretical and abolished. Of the Silvre family, her father was dismembered and crucified and died slowly. One of her brothers (she knows not which), a “new man”, put a sword into the gut of his mother and one of his brothers. Another brother was captured, made to swallow hot oil, had his eyes gouged out and his privates stuffed in his mouth, then sewn shut with sinew made from the intestines of his dead betrothed before he joined her in death (On the bright side, Emperor Julian does despise the undead, perhaps because he has created lots of ghosts. In this sense, the family was “lucky”). Only Jon, having left minutes before the massacre started to clean off itch powder escaped. To this day, Deisa does not know where Jon is, but Great Grandmother assures her that he “is in good hands” and “a credit to his species”. Great Great Grandmother decided that the environment was not contusive to child rearing, especially for the foundation for good moral values. That a trusted servant tried to put a dagger in her back that same night, only to be swallowed whole as she partially transformed into her native form (silver dragon), ruining a very nice dress and causing most of the other servants to flee confirmed her opinion of the situation. Besides, she was getting old, she didn’t like these disturbances. She was sensible. She fled with Deisa in tow. Great Great Grandmother first took Deisa north, to the Duchy where they settled on the borderlands with Deisa’s distant cousins, the Piran and Hannah D’handra. The D’handra are very different from the Silvre family. Sharing a bloodline, they have run an inn for over a hundred years, living quiet but active lives as pillars of the community (and sometimes covertly using magic to help neighbors, come to understandings with the local monsters, discourage bandits etc). This trip had one goal. It was to wipe off a bit of the “noble” but not necessarily honorable attitudes the girl had begun to pick up. It was hoped by Great Great Grandmother that she would be able to leave in a few years with Deisa a well adjusted adopted daughter who would eventually take over the inn, marry a local boy and forget the “foolish pretensions” of her birth family. In her mind, the quiet actions of her D’handra descendants had been just as honorable (and less troublesome for her). It should have worked. It was working. Two things happened. First of all, Deisa’s hair turned white on her tenth birthday. This marked her as strange in a small community. No one was rude to her, it just was strange. It made the low profile strategy harder to maintain, in spite of dye jobs and scarves. Great Great Grandmother recognized what she had suspected; a very strong strain of the dragon blood. This occasionally manifested in her human descendants in both families, creating sorcerers. That would mean as puberty struck, unusual, uncontrolled events like floating dishes, randomly charmed boys, strange weather, levitation (possibly drawing the attention of Imperial Magic Users guild). Secondly, Deisa adjusted rather well, shedding aristocratic detachment with the encouragement of her “new” mother, becoming sunny and friendly; too much so in Great Great Grandmother’s opinion. She was curious about and got along with everyone; not just the farmers and townspeople but unusual types, the elven bard that sometimes played at the inn, the druid (?) midwife on the edge of town, roaming halfing nomads. Worst of all, she showed the signs of developing into one of the girls boys really liked and who enjoyed masculine attention way too much for an ageing, somewhat out of touch, tired, dragon’s taste (Perhaps too painfully close to her earlier self, the one that deeply loved a human paladin centuries back?). Frustrated, she fled one night with a this time unwilling Deisa. Great Great Grandmother brought Deisa to her lair, a cave in the middle a hilly forest in far from civilization. Here she tutored the girl in languages and scripts, helped her come to terms with her draconic heritage, taught her to sew clothes that didn’t break when her wings sprouted, earning a degree of forgiveness from Deisa. She also slept a lot, months at a time. During those times Deisa would experiment with the items she found in the hoard. She taught herself to swim in the underground stream that flowed through the cave. She climbing out and explored the forest, climbing rocks, swimming, meeting (and hiding from) making friends with the neighbors (particularly the Satyr Grindle). She walked around quietly the cave searching for treasures to “experiment” with. This increased her independent streak and her skill in subterfuge. Great Great Grandmother would not always approve of her actions, she didn’t need to know. One day, after some hard thinking, Deisa started walking south. After several months, after almost dieing several times, she ended up in a desert town where she hired herself off as a body guard. This, coupled with her draconic pride has created a person who is very sure of herself, and quick to make decisions. At the same time, her experiences with authority figures (the Emperor, Great Great Grandmother) has limited her taste for bullying and made her less lawful then she would have been had she grown up normally. Goals: Possibly avenge her family and reconnect with her brother Jon. Maybe spend some time with her D’handra stepparents and settle down. Avoid going back to the cave. She loves Great Great Grandmother but she won’t be a prisoner. Have fun, other then that she really hasn’t decided. Right now she has an interesting job. That is a start. Subconsciously in the long term she wishes to find people and places which are “home”. Because of her disrupted childhood she doesn’t know where she fits. What is she? monster, human, noble, commoner. That is what she will be sorting out in the next few years. All the Best, Nani?
Kratch 01-15-05, 01:19 PM	I just generally try to write a few paragraph's on the major event that put him/her onto there current path/motivations. Generally, any more then that can get complicated and force my character into a behaviour i never intended. From there my characters personality and backstory develope as i level and learn who my character is.
anders 01-15-05, 01:22 PM	take a look at this thread from the character development forum. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=105563 Its the best thread I've seen delaing with these issues. Good luck!
Melpomene 01-15-05, 10:22 PM	Ten Tips to Having a More Diverse and Interesting Character 1.) Hair and Makeup a. An important element to having a rich and developed persona is the physical aspect of the character. There are a few (actually 100) aspects of personality in the DMG (page 128) covering elements such as thin, fat, short, tall, lisping, bald, stooping, etc., in addition to a number of other personality linked attributes. Deciding what the character looks like is an important stepping stone in becoming well-rounded. b. A sword is a sword, right? Well, not really. The look of your equipment is important, as well. Is your armour square or flowing? What is the tone of the metal? Is your sword purely strait or does it have notches? Curves? Barbs? A furrow down the middle to draw blood? Does any of your equipment have runes on it? A suit of armour made by an elf will look distinctly different from one made by a dwarf, or an orc. c. How do your vices and lifestyle reflect on you? Do you have piercings, tattoos, visible scars, missing body parts (or even just a chunk taken from your ear), a red nose from too much drinking, a beer gut, a gold tooth, a glass eye, a hook-hand, eye patch, self-carved runes or symbols, brands, studs, pock marks, yellow teeth, or any of a number of other maladies? d. How your character faces the world is important, too. Do you wear your hair up or down? Is it braided? Do birds live in it? Do you keep is short to keep foes from grabbing it? Do you keep it long to taunt them? Do you tuck it back to keep blood out of it? Do you wear a wig? Do you have facial hair? 2.) Your Stuff and You a. As mentioned before, equipment reflects on you. To this point, there is a personality difference between what people choose to buy and choose to leave behind. b. Your weapons and armour are the most important things you are likely to carry with you. Armour is locked in place by a number of concerns such as max dex score, class abilities, cost of special materials, and will most likely be decided on practical levels rather than aesthetic ones. Your weapon, on the other hand, is a very personal matter. Even if you plan on breaking every weapon you own (as a master thrower would) your choice of weapon reflects who you are. For example, the difference between a rapier and a scimitar is mostly a matter of preference. A rapier wielder is more likely to be a dashing swashbuckler, while a scimitar swinger will certainly have a touch of Arabian flair. c. You are also a reflection of the mundane equipment you carry. If you buy perfume, signet rings, scroll cases, vestments, or mundane jewelry, you will certainly alter what your character feels like. An orc barbarian wielding an ax may not feel like it has too much personality, but if it wears perfume to keep away bad swamp spirits, it suddenly begins to feel much more developed. d. Any magic object you carry aught to make itself felt. Even a hand-me-down cloak of resistance should have a little personality. “It is woven from sheep wool, inlaid in green and brown, and just a little warmer than it should be when the wind blows.” Giving a little sentence like that to you magic items will make them feel more a part of you. A major item, such as a staff or magic weapon, deserves even more respect. e. Your clothes will also reflect directly on you. If all your character wears is full plate, this is a mute point. However, since this is seldom the case, decide what garments make up that character’s ensemble. Is it flowing or restrictive, does it follow a theme, what’s it made of, etc? f. There are alternatives to the listed magical items in the DMG. Just because it’s called “Bracers of Armour” doesn’t mean it has to be a bracer. A “tattoo” of armour is just as good. A scroll of fireball would be just as nice as an incense of fireball. They serve the same function, and make as much logical sense. With the DM’s approval, of course. 3.) “So, who are you?” “Yeah, what’s your angle?” a. Your character is somewhere in their early adulthood, leaning toward late childhood as they begin their careers. That leaves a rather impressive chunk of time to be filled in. Remember, the standard, “Was born, grew up, became an adventurer” is not sufficient to be considered well-rounded. Really consider why you took to the path of the adventurer. b. You had a family. Were your parents nice? Did they approve of your career path? Are they still alive? Do you visit them? Do you have brothers or sisters? What are they like? Are they adventurers? Did you have aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces and nephews, cousins, etc.? If you’re a half breed or a plaintouched, this is an especially pointed question. c. Where did you grow up? Did you live in a nice community? Where do you feel “at home?” Do you still go back? Is there a terrain type that suits you? d. Where are you going? What are your ambitions? What do you hope to accomplish in life, both personally and professionally? 4.) Aligning the Heavens a. You should have an alignment somewhere on your character sheet. This is an important part of who you are, because it reflects, to some degree, how you view the world. The keywords to remember (page 89 PHB) are Crusader, Benefactor, Rebel, Judge, Undecided (or Balanced), Free Spirit, Dominator, Malefactor, and Destroyer. If you feel that the word sums you up, go with the corresponding alignment. Remember, good over evil is usually a choice; law over chaos is usually a disposition. b. Most humanoids are either Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral. If you can’t make up your mind, these make very good launching pads to start with, to change and modify as you move into things. c. Don’t be afraid to be evil. Unless you have a paladin in your party, evil a perfectly valid form of alignment. (Or even if you do have a paladin, with DM and player’s permission, you may sneak him in there anyway, just to make things interesting.) Being evil is harder to keep up than most people realize, but it can make for a refreshing change of pace. d. Your equipment should reflect your alignment. Paladins would look silly wearing pitch-black full plate. A blackguard would look silly in mirror-sheered mithril. A chaotic character should also look suitably haberdashed and flim-flam to represent their nature. If you look the part, you tend to feel the part more. 5.) Who’s Your Deity? a. In a world where the gods and other outer forces have a vested interest in the happenings of the mortal plane, deity choice is quite important, even if you aren’t a member of the clergy. There is only one class which should be without a deity, and that’s the druid. Druidic law offers up to a more primeval force in some cases. Otherwise, everyone has someone to pray to. b. You don’t need to be a full-blown devotee to your god (Well, unless you’re a cleric or paladin), but you should know at least the lay information on your god. If you worship Corellon, for example, you should know that he put out Gruumsh’s eye. Furthermore, you should also know what day that was, because there should be a feast to celebrate it. You should also know your god’s portfolio, and maybe one prayer to offer when situation demands. c. Try to incorporate a few stray things into your speech, especially if you have a high knowledge: religion score, which reflect your displaced nature. Changing “What the Hell?” to “What in the Nine Hells?” or changing “God help us” to “Pelor help us” makes you feel more organic. d. If your god has a symbol that you want people (or outsiders) to recognize, you don’t have to be a cleric to wear it. A good number of Cloaks of Protection will have Pelor’s or Garl’s insignia on it. A headband of intellect may bear Boccob’s symbol. 6.) Racial Profiling a. Your character is a product of their race. Even if they have forsaken their heritage, it has still touched them in some way. Monstrous races especially need to think about how they feel about their kinsmen and how they fit into society at large. b. Does your character have any races they just don’t like? Does your character feel more at home with a certain race then another? Does your character tolerate any other races? How do they feel about monsters? Animals? Undead? Everything Else? c. What kind of society brought this character up? Was it repressive or open-minded? Do they value freedom or order? Do they have progressive or backwater views on politics, gender, or vocation? Are they chased Victorians or reveling partiers? 7.) What’s in a Name? a. This is just a short and simple tip: Pick a good name! This is harder than it sounds. The PHB provides some good starting names, but you should certainly expand. Try looking in obscure literary and folklore texts to find some good names. Also, if you’re still stumped, you can look at random names from books or movie credits. Bob the Fighter is acceptable for a single game session, but Sir Robert Du Nebbel is a bit more imposing 8.) Speaking of Language…. a. A good chunk of characters will know multiple languages. Wizards and Bards are especially subject to this. There are a few way to use that language as a means of expanding a character. b. The first things most people learn in another language are some choice curses. People will know you speak aquan if you spout out aquan curses when things go wrong. Also, in times of stress, you might just erupt in a spout of babbling, especially if common isn’t your fist language. c. Also, there’s Spanglish. You may mix parts of you language with another. For example, “Ooh… nobbed him right in the lethrim…” If you keep this up for long enough, people will certainly know what your multiculturalism. d. You should also say what you mean if you know the language. A sonnet in common is nice, but it becomes more interesting if it’s in elvish, Ingan, or Celestial. Or Giant. Or Infernal. e. Lastly, you don’t have to know anything about the language. No one really speaks Halfling, so it doesn’t matter. If you want to say that Halflings speak Spanish, elves speak Cantonese, and Celestial is Latin, that’s perfectly fine, as long as every other character who speaks it knows what’s going on. 9.) Falling in Love is Easy a. To flesh out a character and make them seem more alive, a romantic interest can add depth and feeling. Note that if you’re too belligerent in explaining your romance, you can easily annoy your compatriots. However, saying that “My character now has a wife” is a little blunt (even if it is a step in the right direction). b. You can also make overtures to have romance with female (or male, as circumstances demand) party members. This is a common ploy, and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed doing so. They may accept or rebuke you as often as you both like. Treated well, this can make a campaign much more interesting. 10.) Being Good in a Team a. Just a final reminder that, whatever you do, make sure the other players agree and accept it. If you want to play an evil, rude, bigot you’re welcome to…. Until people start to complain.