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View Full Version : DM Help Incorporating Back stories/Characters.



draken50
2014-09-11, 10:30 AM
So first off, I don't require back stories or the like for PCs in my games, for a few reasons.

1) Usually have new players unfamiliar with the setting/game-world.

2) I've seen too many games end after only a couple sessions to feel I should force people to develop a complicated back-story for their character.

3) My main requirement for character creation is that the party should get along by default. Differences of opinion are fine, one player playing a paladin and the other a serial killer is not.

As a result, most of my players didn't craft any kind of back-story. One of them however, has. I'd like to reward that player by having their history, and some of the ideas they've used for it come into the game a bit. The character is a dashing swordsman type with the whole, rescued from slavery mentor thing. The player is fine with me controlling/defining their mentor character, and his possible death ect.

What are good ways to reward the player for the extra work they've put in? What are good ways to make use of characters from a PC's backstory. I'd prefer to avoid the, "And now he's dead, find his killer" thing, at least to start. I have some ideas already, but they're pretty bare-bones and would appreciate any ideas you guys have.

Berenger
2014-09-11, 11:35 AM
Helping said mentor would lend itself to nearly every type of adventures, depending on his personality, allies and enemies.

"Three Musketeers": He could be a man of honor and renown and be appointed as captain of the royal guard (as such, he happens to be in dire need of a trustworthy "nobody" with no political ties for some delicate investigation).

"Spartacus": He could be a jaded and embittered man that "snaps" and starts an all-out crusade against an evil, nation of slaveholders (he and his growing army of rebels are always in need of scouts, assassins, gunrunners and the like).

"Marco Polo": He could be some kind of explorer that travels to unknown lands out of curiosity or the desire to get rich by establishing trade routes (it's both safer and more enjoyable to travel in a group).

jedipotter
2014-09-11, 01:32 PM
You could have the mentor adopt the whole group (''any friends of Jober...") and give them things to do:

1. Just random adventures.

2. The mentor has some sort of political/social goal...and he could use the help of a group of adventurers. He can have them do tasks to further his goal. Anything from getting rid of some bandits to recovering a lost treasure to harming a competitor.

3. The mentor has a goal....but an evil one. He wants to use the group, for a while, then abandon or betray them when it would be best for his political/social gain.

4. The mentor is in trouble, like debt or such. And needs help. He offers to help the group in return for help back.

5. Memory lane. The mentor has found the slave masters, or the characters parents, or a slave pal or whatever...but....

Jay R
2014-09-11, 08:00 PM
Speaking as the person who routinely writes the longest, most complicated background, there are two answers I would find most satisfying:

1. Don't bother. I wrote it so I would know who he is. The proper reward for a well-developed background is to have a well-developed background.

2. Mine it to complicate things for my character. Remember that the fun of the game is overcoming hardships. I've given you all kinds of material to create hardships specifically for me.

HammeredWharf
2014-09-12, 02:18 AM
You don't have to involve the mentor directly. You could introduce the mentor's friend/rival/enemy instead. It often makes more sense than "suddenly, this guy from your past pops up!"

Kol Korran
2014-09-12, 03:01 AM
Jay R said some important things, but I suggest to talk with your character first, and see in what ways he would like you to develop this, and what ways he would like to avoid. The 2 main things you wrote about are the mentor, and the slave life. I could see quite a few ways these could come into affect:

1) Mentor: Would he like to develop and play out the relationship with the mentor? If so, maybe an adventurer two together? Or would he like to have the mentor with a twist? Such as actually working for someone else, or maybe a dark secret that forces some confrontation. Do the power levels matter to the player? Is he supposed to play the "fast rising star" that will soon outshine the mentor, or does their relationship continues as it is? Does he even want to meet his mentor, or prefer to leave him at the background? Was the mentor part of any organization? Cause then that organization can come more to the fore.

2) Slavery: Is it something in the past, or does the player wishes to fight slavers? Does he still have enemies there? Did he kill any of the slavers? Scar them? Shamed them? Does the character actively fights them, or does it live it all behind? How dedicated is the character to the struggle? How does she see the slavers? Location, numbers, tactics? (THis could give you some instant antagonists)

In short, if the player didn't just write his back story for his /her sake, as Jay R suggested, what do they WANT to explore from it?

You should talk with the player about these things. It will bring up enough things to use, and you will know what is better to use, and what should be avoided.

Last thing- try to incorporate the background items INTO the bigger picture, so they party won't feel like just tagging along on his/ her story.

Good luck!