Now that the character has a race and role, this section is all about taking these stereotypical qualities and fleshing out the details to distinguish them from all the other people in the world. In other words, it’s time to give the character a story. Everyone comes from somewhere, whether you have the character history in mind or not, this section will help you to put together a Background Package and determining things like Reputation, Motivation, Personality, and Family.

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Building a Legacy

Putting this into a meta context, with tabletop RPGs the journey is the game. There is no end game. It ends when the last adventure is run, the characters are retired (or killed), and a new campaign begins with new characters. You win by overcoming obstacles and surviving the day, only to come up against more diabolical challenges and more deadly foes. Over the course of their careers, characters grow more powerful and resourceful, gaining a reputation that is known far and wide.

In short, they build a legacy

And it all starts here. Establishing the character’s background will shape their interactions in the game and provide a base roleplay perspective. Nothing brings a character to life quite like a rich and detailed back story. In the following sections are all of the tools necessary to begin building a character background, but before we get to determining important factors like Wealth Class, Social Status, and the optional Advantages and Disadvantages, it’s best to get an idea of the type of person they are, and that almost always starts with a Back Story.

The important thing to remember is that these do not define a character’s present status, rather they establish where the character came from and the path they took to become adventurers.

Backstory Image

Building a Legacy

Putting this into a meta context, with tabletop RPGs the journey is the game. There is no end game. It ends when the last adventure is run, the characters are retired (or killed), and a new campaign begins with new characters. You win by overcoming obstacles and surviving the day, only to come up against more diabolical challenges and more deadly foes. Over the course of their careers, characters grow more powerful and resourceful, gaining a reputation that is known far and wide.

In short, they build a legacy

Backstory Image

And it all starts here. Establishing the character’s background will shape their interactions in the game and provide a base roleplay perspective. Nothing brings a character to life quite like a rich and detailed back story. In the following sections are all of the tools necessary to begin building a character background, but before we get to determining important factors like Wealth Class, Social Status, and the optional Advantages and Disadvantages, it’s best to get an idea of the type of person they are, and that almost always starts with a Back Story.

The important thing to remember is that these do not define a character’s present status, rather they establish where the character came from and the path they took to become adventurers.

Back Story

While some people crave excitement, very few set out to become adventurers. More often, a life of adventure is something that finds them. It’s possible, and even likely, for a character to have started on a different path, something stable, steady, and safe…

An apprenticeship. A family trade. Working in the stables.

Where a person begins is important to determining who they’ll become. Deciding on a back story helps to provide a basis for prioritizing several of the steps that follow, especially Wealth Class and Social Status. A person who grew up in a family of farmers is likely to become a farmer. Extreme taxation, crop rot, or a hungry monster could be part of the catalyst that sent them into adventuring. The options are limitless.

With this in mind, this is a list of back stories to consider. Later, there is the option to use these as Background Packages, but there a few things to determine before we get there.When looking over these, it is helpful to keep the lineage in mind, as the number of Story Points available within each varies.

  • Aborigine
  • Adventurer
  • Artisan
  • Barbarian
  • Bard
  • Burgher
  • Citizen
  • Clergy
  • Denizen
  • Deserter
  • Enforcer
  • Explorer
  • Farmer
  • Fortune Hunter
  • Fugitive
  • Gambler
  • Hero/Heroine
  • Mercenary
  • Merchant
  • Militant
  • Missionary
  • Naturist
  • Nomad
  • Outcast
  • Outlaw
  • Pioneer
  • Pirate
  • Prospector
  • Ranger
  • Recluse
  • Rogue
  • Scholar
  • Seafarer
  • Serf
  • Sidekick
  • Slave
  • Trouper
  • Vagrant
  • Wanderer
  • Zealot

With this in mind, this is a list of back stories to consider. Later, there is the option to use these as Background Packages, but there a few things to determine before we get there.When looking over these, it is helpful to keep the lineage in mind, as the number of Story Points available within each varies.

  • Aborigine
  • Adventurer
  • Artisan
  • Barbarian
  • Bard
  • Burgher
  • Citizen
  • Clergy
  • Denizen
  • Deserter
  • Enforcer
  • Explorer
  • Farmer
  • Fortune Hunter
  • Fugitive
  • Gambler
  • Hero/Heroine
  • Mercenary
  • Merchant
  • Militant
  • Missionary
  • Naturist
  • Nomad
  • Outcast
  • Outlaw
  • Pioneer
  • Pirate
  • Prospector
  • Ranger
  • Recluse
  • Rogue
  • Scholar
  • Seafarer
  • Serf
  • Sidekick
  • Slave
  • Trouper
  • Vagrant
  • Wanderer
  • Zealot