7 Critical Mistakes When Thinking About Player Character Backstories

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

*Thanks for watching!* Let us know in the comments below your thoughts on your player character backstories and whether you feel they are important in your RPG or not.

[@Frederic_S]

As a GM I dont force my PC to give me any kind of information about their characters other than information that fits in a single sentence. But I try to reward those who make the efford to write something up.

[@Rabijeel]

I must say, I had experienced GMs justify horribly butchering Players Backstories with such Statements as you made - and yes, I know, this is a Fail and not meant. Just say it to clarify why I get a bit of an itch hearing this, even though it is mostly correct. For Example, I have good Experiences with an "writing Backstory whilst Playing" - but that needs Players which can handle this. I, for myself, like sometimes to fill in that sudden "Have learned that somehow" when it comes to justify "Leveling Up" in terms of Plot. But yeah, it has to fit into Plot and World, it is under no circumstances a justification for "sudden additional Extra-Bonuses". This Players must be ok with you bringing up Things and need a lot of communication between Player and GM out of Play. I like to include my Players in my Plotting - like "If you want a specific Item, I can make an Advanture for it how you get or got it". If you like a specific Session Theme, say it and we can look up to make it work out. So, I think Backstories are important, nut not a necessity - like the Party having a Drifter among them who travelled a lot and came by from Day to Day. Now, he kinda bonded with the Group and seeks to stay around. If a Player do not provide a Backstory, I will as GM - but, it will be just a "common average Backstory" for his Char. Everything else is up to be made "on the Go", and the only rule here is that he can not have something as Backstory what his Char did not have or could have had before but lost it somehow. This goes well with Players who like to play Prewritten Chars and not their own Creations (which does not say the Playrer is "bad" or something - most of this Players like the interaction, the dynamics of the Game between Players among themself and towards the GM. Basically, all can go and no GM "need" to enforce his Players to have Backstorys - as long as the Way it is handled enriches the Game and does not break Immersion or Plot. One good example for this is one of my "Black Mages" from "The Dark Eye". Originally, he was meant as a Atagonist to my Elementarist, a Guy who can Summon Undead, create Hybrid Creatures, build elaborate Magic Riddles and Traps and can summon otherwordly Evil into the World - Classic BBEG. His only "Structure" was him originally beeing taught by the same Teacher as my Elemetarist, a supreme Summoner and Sholar of the Otherworlds who went away without anyone knowing. He is my Brother by blood, but none of them know as their Parents dies as they were Babies and they were raised different ways. Sadly, this Plot came never to be played out, as I stopped playing this Elementarist as he had become way too powerful to fit into the World by any means. So, I needed a replacement and started playing this "other Guy". GM and I went the way that he seeks "Absolute Power" to defy the Gods, which he dislike for "playing with Human Puppets". Basically, he had the same Capabilities as the former one, but with a darker Touch - ha does not use "Friendship" rather "Dominate" or False Memory". He does not summon Elementals, he summon Demons. He does not use small Elemental Homunculi, he summons undead. He became a Man with a Reputation fast - and later on, he became a known "Architect for Dungeons and Castles" for "Special Customers" - basically, the "new" GM asking me how I, the former GM, would design Dungeons. GM filled in "Meetings" with many "bad People" like the BBEGs we face which I know from former "Buisness" or have heared about. If the GM wanted to nerf me, he let something from my Past catch up to me like People that "want to get rid of the only one who knows who their Security works" and such. If we needed some extra Cluse because we all were thick as a brick he could use me like "Oh, you know, that reminds you of something from your Past....". On his Journey, he learned about every Sin and overcame it - just to, in the end, become a "Silent observer" and one who loves to ravel in Sinful Pleasures - which he lives out by stealing others Bodies, trapping their Souls and that Way living eternally on. He is a Protector of the People and that Realm, as he needs it for his Pleasures. After his "good Brother" twice failed to save the World and both Times caused great Magical Wars and Calamitys, in which one Violent Act causing the Next one in an endless Spiral, it was both Times him, who entrapped the Evil and became it seemingly, so the World can defeat "the Evil" and Peace is restored. That all from a mostly unwritten Backstory which was just about 3 Notes and nothing more.

[@ThorneMD]

I’ve always required backstories. I’ve found it makes a difference between role playing and rollplaying I’m happy to say I only got a -1 in this video, by not always limiting page numbers. Sometimes my players get carried away 😎

[@beazle2543]

They are crucial to most RPGs that are party-centric. In a lot of TTRPGs, your backstory determines skill proficiencies, abilities and even personality! So, it is always crucial to have just a rough outline of their history.

[@curtisfranzen986]

I agree with most of what you said, however NPC's that are integral to the overall story, may need you to be fleshed out a little bit. Also, I apologise for my original post. I didn't realize you were being sarcastic. Peace.

[@MrFleem]

Player: My character has amnesia, so I don't have a backstory. GM: Your character doesn't know his backstory. Doesn't mean you haven't got one.

[@gmfreeman4211]

Those are my favorite. Blank slate for me to right their story on.

[@notLura]

GM again: Well, since you can't be bothered... Muhuhahahaha

[@valentinejavet5361]

I recently asked my GM if it was okay for me to say that my PC had amnesia because I couldn't choose between all the ideas that I had. he told me it was okay and I just wrote down what my character had lived since he "woke up" with amnesia. In our second to last game, my character recognised the name of an NPC and it triggered some dark memories. He went to see that man and asked him questions. I, the player, was shaking and really invested in my roleplay. I loved discovering my character's backstory with him, it's great ^^ Character's amnesia is not (always) a lazy solution: sometimes, it's just an incredible show of faith ^^

[@BrazenBard]

About, oh, 15 years ago, I ran a game (GURPS) in which one of the players couldn't be arsed to come up with much of a character, and spotted the "Amnesia" Flaw... Milked that baby for all it was worth, "All you know about your character is what you can see in the mirror." Turned out he was a skilled fencer - VERY skilled - with a phobic reaction to the rapier in his sword case, and had serious problems figuring out what the issue was... Later discovered that the character used to have a five-year-old son... That player's never made a character with memory loss again.

[@DAEDRICDUKE1]

I did this but he couldnt remember the last two weeks instead, apperently it was legendary whatever he did

[@GoodEatsFan231]

Just want to say I started GM'ing my first game about 2 months ago and your video series has been incredibly helpful. Cheers.

[@russelljacob7955]

Sounds like you have already learned one of the most important parts of GMing. If having a positive experience, then so are your players. And if your players are, then so are you! Is a team game, playing together and respecting eachother is an incomparable game experience!

[@eniobergamaschi]

I have been GM'ing since 1994... and still learning with this vídeos.

[@russelljacob7955]

@@eniobergamaschi A GM who thinks they know all they need to know is not a Great GM. A Great GM is aware that they can always improve!

[@ThorneMD]

@@eniobergamaschi similar boat. Since ‘89 Still learning, still having fun

[@MegaMawileTheNommer]

I challenge the "Make it up as we go", so long as skills are not given for it, this can lead to fun story building among talented RPers. I have seen sparse backstories turned into great fleshed out stories over play, because the player was consistent and we kept track of their aspects they made up.

[@jackielinde7568]

There are roleplaying systems, like both Fate and Fudge, that not only have mechanics for the "Make it up as you go" for both backstories and skills. (And Fate's system actually encourages you to do this with the players.) And it's normally a negotiation between the storyteller and the players that the storyteller kicks off with some sort of prompt. But, yes, the many variations of the "we're making up a backstory as we go along" can be problematic as far as players adding things that suddenly get them out of a bind that they didn't have a few moments ago. However, if you set a few ground rules, this won't be an issues, even for D&D. They can be like, "You get 5 contacts that we'll flesh out together as the game goes on. (The DM signals when we make up a contact.)", "The skills, stats, and info on your character sheet are fixed, so sudden additions to the backstory don't add anything new to the character sheets.", and "No heroic or epic deeds can be added."

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, there is a "What came first? The hen or the egg? ... erhm ... The world or the backstory?" -problem. I have seen quite some campaigns where it was nigh on impossible to start out with a good backstory, as the world was not revealed to the players at the beginning.

[@animefan17655]

That's how i play mine out because i go deeper into their character the more i play them and decide yes she would have killed the baby kraken if it didn't teach her how to read. Or yes the kraken did in fact lean her very deep into the evil side but she's still innocent.

[@David_Apollonius]

@@larsdahl5528 I solved this problem once by saying my GOOlock had amnesia. I thought it was a good idea at the time. And that was how I got to play Al Zheimer. Never let your fellow players name your character.

[@kingduckie9135]

I also disagreed with guy saying you couldn't flesh it out in play, if my 12 year old nephew can do it without causing issues and adding skills then anyone can.

[@alexwaddington9808]

Whenever Guy got snarky you could tell he was having some PTSD

[@Glitch_Online]

I was about to say something similar :)

[@christiantaylor3877]

I heavily relate to him in this video

[@remingtonwright6796]

"I didn't read that far, thank you Norman!"

[@commiedeer]

Let's be honest, we ALL have had those players as GMs

[@AvenueStudios]

@@remingtonwright6796 Yes! I died laughing at that part🤣

[@patbou_jdrs]

For the first time, I don't agree completely with you. If you, as the GM, "change" too much the backstory of character, you're taking a chance that the player won't care anymore about his character. (hope it's clear enough, english is not my first language).

[@BioMatic2]

I agree with the sentiment, it sounded like "HA now your backstory is mine....i can add whatever i want" wich it sounds wrong. The example given was tame but inagine a dm saying "when you were young yoy mugged and killed an old man" Its the player suppoused to just sit there and take it? I think additions in the backstory that involve PCs actions should be consulted with the player. the last point is one that could go wrong very easily.

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, a common "critical mistake" is background abuse, where the GM forces the player to fit into whatever strikes the GM's fancy. A result of common GM failure: Trying to make the players fit the campaign. (Instead of making the campaign fit the players.)

[@dumbautisticmutt]

I agree. Also I don't think most people would deny that the DM has control over a player's NPCs, the problem arises when the DM has said NPCs act contrary to how the player described them. No, the player doesn't get to decide what the NPCs do in a situation, but they do decide what kind of person they are.

[@DWShooting]

Yeah I don't want to play your character. I want to come up with my own character to play

[@elsan4170]

I've had this exact problem actually, wherein my character had a husband that was killed before his adventure started. The dm decided he was somehow resurrected, and in one of the few recent sessions, they met again. At first it made me excited. I thought my character would finally have an arc that can help him heal from grieving. I described his husband to be the kindest and the most considerate man he's known in his dark cruel life, but the dm roleplayed him as this rude and manipulative guy and made him fall in love and marry someone else. It almost made me want to quit the game, and I'm still considering it.

[@papallegatepoope3010]

I had an issue with a GM just editing my backstory in a battle mech game. The main idea behind my character was he was a sorts of knight like character, one who elected to join the ongoing campaign of this military unit. He was using the stats of this one mech but his suit was more bespoke. The whole unit was basically this battle suit from the book, but I wanted the suit to have a personalized feel given that his whole venture was privately financed. He also had his own retinue of engineers for his maintenance crew. His contribution was only a fraction of the military contribution, but the idea was that he was doing this of his own desire to serve. The gm agreed to all of this before hand and it seemed everything was ok. Yet, session one he literally changed everything. The suit was just normal from the factory, he didn’t have his own crew, and he was just a pilot like everyone else. Like I wouldn’t be opposed to this if he didn’t agree prior and then flip it as if there was no prior discussion about it.

[@panda93247]

I made the mistake of forcing backstories on all of my players in my first campaign. It was fun for those that enjoyed the extra role play but was just a chore for my players that just wanted to roll dice and not really be the center of any sort of attention. For the second campaign, I told my players that if they wanted to have a backstory, they could and that I would incorporate it into the story, but if they didn't want to have a backstory they could just give me a reason they would be looking to join in on an adventure. It went much smoother than the first campaign and was--in general--a lot more fun all around.

[@Rajaat99]

As a DM, my favorite backstories are bullet pointed. Edit: Reasons: 1. I don't have time to read a novella for every character in my group. 2. It's easy to reference.

[@stefanpodell1306]

A thousand times yes

[@Tusker2zero2]

Is there a good example of a good bullet point backstory out there that I can see somewhere?

[@SendohJin]

@@Tusker2zero2 i wrote a timeline for my current character, listing significant events and people in each age range.

[@invisiblearachnid9733]

I write complete backstories, and then at the end I have a tl;dr that has a timeline of events and important moments for my dm to read. I use my backstory as a chance to get into the head of my character and get some writing practice. I have been told that the tl;dr has saved my dm’s from headaches

[@Rybosome141]

As a DM, I completely disagree

[@Exail01]

As a player I’d prefer the DM to collaborate with me and change things in my backstory so it better fits their world and the story.

[@elgatochurro]

Same, I want my character to fit into the setting.

[@1918Camel]

I have been DM’ing for 40 years and through that time I have always used back stories and use that information in the campaigns I run they are sandbox and what you have layed out in this video I agree with totally.

[@MrEcae]

5:30 This is a tough example in particular because languages in D&D are so varied in usage between DMs. Sometimes a character will be an expert in Abyssal, for example, and that will simply never come up in a campaign unless the DM specifically makes it so. If the DM decides to put an obscure language the character knows in front of them, then its basically the same thing as the character deciding they know the language on the spot (with suspension of disbelief *potentially* making it seem more plausible). Allowing players to use their toys feels good for everyone and helps the campaign flow, which is why its generally a good idea to look at your players' characters to see what skills/languages/spells they have and build encounters with those in mind. That being said, the difference between the DM deciding what language is relevant and the players deciding is a matter of agency. In my games I let players leave language choices unpicked until they decide, in the moment, where their character picked up a certain language. If they encounter something in the world that is written in Draconic, a player with an unpicked language can declare they know Draconic so long as they can plausibly explain HOW and WHY they learned it. This encourages the players to be more engaged with the secondary world, acting like DMs for a minute to do some on the fly worldbuilding for their character. Not only do players LIKE being empowered in this way, it prevents the forward motion of the game from being slowed or halted by a silly thing like not knowing a language. Obviously if the language is an obscure dialect of Primordial only known to a few scholars in the world it would NOT be plausible that a character could have learned said language; they wouldn't be able to use their language pick that way. But for the most part allowing players to unlock content is a GOOD thing and encourages engagement whereas putting barriers between players and content is sometimes frustrating. There's nuance here with pacing and narrative structure that requires careful mediation by the DM to maintain the integrity of their game, but I've had positive responses to letting players have a greater amount of control over my games (makes it easier for me to run as well).

[@tomcrowell6697]

I always ask for at least one paragraph of at least five sentences. Maximum of two pages, which can be double sided (so technically 4) Then I discuss it before 1st game with the player and note the key parts/characters in it and what the played say. I find this really helps to get them invested in the world and conversely helps me flesh out my world as well. Cheers, mate!

[@XDFFBXD]

I think one thing that I'm taking away from this is that players should intentionally leave holes in their backstories. As one quick example, my current PC got in trouble with the town and was kicked out of it. A few days later he snuck back in and discovered that his sister got some mysterious illness, that he ASSUMES was related to the event that got him kicked out. He then leaves to become an adventurer to try to find some money to pay for a cure or find a cure. By not saying the source the DM is free to make the real cause for his sister's issue to be whatever it wants and not have it contradict anything in the backstory.

[@MrBeekhead]

Correct. Your PCs can believe whatever they like. I have a PC whose backstory is almost entirely false. The PC believes he has been hunting this terrifying combatant since they were young. In actuality, they have been that combatant (evil ancestor possession stuff) almost the entire time. The truth has been too horrific to come to terms with so their brain has created this alternate backstory. I can't wait until the truth comes out and shatters their whole understanding of their backstory. The best part is that they will still get the confrontation they are looking for, but it will be a mental battle personified as a physical one.

[@NMahon]

@@MrBeekhead that's cool but be careful you're not going to force the players character into being something that they never wanted to be, might make them feel like they're losing agency

[@brookejon3695]

@@MrBeekhead I've got something kinda similar I've cooked up for one of my players. Their character is a Catholic cleric that was abducted by Ilithid and stranded in Toril. They *believe* that they now have a deeper and more powerful connection to God than they've ever had before, as they can now cast magic with His will. In actuality, Yahweh was banished to Earth by the other gods because he was insufferable and always jabbering on about how he was "the one true god" and Asmodeus made a pact with Yahweh that gives sinner's souls to Asmodeus, but forces Asmodeus to essentially be Yahweh. Yahweh thought this was a clever way to trick Asmodeus to be "good," but as is always the case when you make a deal with the Devil, the Devil gets his due. Instead, Asmodeus tricked Yahweh and Asmodeus only has to pretend to be Yahweh if any followers of Yahweh escape Earth. Thus, Asmodeus is my player's God, not Yahweh.

[@rich63113]

@@NMahon I'm with you here - I think there's a ton of risk in "You're not really this badass who has been hunting the werewolf who killed his parents his whole life - you're just schizophrenic" - and I think there's a huge segment of players who would leave-the-table-hate that.

[@laner.845]

My first GM helped me come up with a short back story outline so he would have the relevant details he needed, then told me to go ham and write that 37 page backstory for me to get to know my character and get in her head. It was a really good compromise for a new player who loved writing. I was joining a pre-existing campaign, so I came in as a level 4 and he helped me work in how I was already proficient at some things.

[@tarri16]

I personally like a two page backstory, the first page is just highlights like birthplace, a major life event or reason for becoming an adventurer, and maybe a motivation for the character, then the second page is just a reference list of important npcs to the character and a very short description like if they are alive or not, their relationship to the pc, and what race/profession the pc knows them as. This helps flesh out the character enough for the player to start to understand the character and gives the gm the major npcs for the character and room to add to the pc as needed.

[@christiantaylor3877]

3:25 Guy... I don't know the details but I understand your pain so well.

[@Sunflamer]

Whatever is "too much" depends on the people participating, really. I like well fleshed-out characters that have well defined characteristics and detailed past, so I ask my players a bunch of questions (like a page worth of questions) and then write the first version of the backstory for them. It allows me to embed them into the world easier than having to retcon stuff that they come up with. At least my players seem to enjoy this approach and no one has wanted to change anything about their characters after reading through those 4-ish pages detailing their past, written strictly following the answers they gave me.

[@1918Camel]

I do the same thing. This way I can sure it into a real story in the writing and the player still collaborates on it changing it. They enjoy reading it and sometimes sharing certain parts with other players.

[@FunLovingPotato]

"Sit down, shut up, and listen to your mother!" Gold.

[@larsdahl5528]

... and find another group / GM to play with.

[@AvenueStudios]

Absolutely priceless haha

[@starbugmechanic5236]

Yes…that was a goldfish comment.

[@timkramar9729]

So if all the NPCs in it belong to the GM, let the GM develop it. I try not to live in the past. The past doesn't matter, the future doesn't matter, only the present time.

[@timberwolf8182]

I have tried so many times to include the charecters backstories and they did not care at all. Most of the problem is that they wont come up with specifics. Say they fell in love with someone in their backstory, they WILL NOT come up with who that person was. Makes it nearly impossible to include backstories without taking control of them which is something i dont want to do. Some of them are starting to come around after seeing me make backstories, so maybe there is hope

[@StompinPaul]

I know something I've done as a player is leave some backstory elements deliberately open ended like that, and my reason is that I actually want my GM to take that bit of control and make those characters. I've thought that would make it easier to fit into existing story plans. Would it be worth talking to them to see if they're okay with you taking some control, and maybe figuring out how much?

[@timberwolf8182]

@@StompinPaul i firmly agree with you. Have done exactly that and the consensus was that they simply did not care. It was not a story element that they thought was important to them. So i threw my planning elsewhere. They are all pretty new players so i think they will realize how cool it is to have a backstory. Thanks for the advise!

[@Tazymandius]

Surely at that point, you talk to the player, "You mention that your character fell in love, tell me more about it? Was it controversial? Did it end badly? Why was it important?..." You'll get some more information that you can use later.

[@ljmiller96]

@@Tazymandius Agreed. "You loved and lost and you don't think your character is affected by it?"

[@GnarledStaff]

If they dont come up with specifics, its perfectly fine for you to fill in the holes. Dont think of it as "taking control" unless you are taking player agency away. For example, if they said they fell in love with someone in their backstory but dont say anything more, then you have the right to choose the race, but you probably want to ask the player for the love interests gender and whether they ever acted on that love (ie asked them on a date). If they refuse to add details that you specifically ask for then they are giving you the right to make them up (by ceding their right to make them up). One issue the players might have is that they don't know enough about your world to make a backstory that fits in it. New players might not be familiar with fantasy tropes and may not be able to imagine the life of a peasant or duke in a world where monsters and magic exists. If this is the case, playing the game and seeing the world will help them make better backstories over time. Or they may not know whether your setting is high or low magick, how NPCs would react to their character, and whatnot until they see it. If this is the case, you can help them out by talking to them and/or giving them some info about the local area. You dont need to come up with a lorebook for them to read. Thats not a requirement for DnD. Try gtting them to talk with you one on one about their character. Alternatively, they may not be comfortable with the GM yet (or might know them too well). Some GMs ask for backstory and only use it to have bad things happen to the players. If you kill off every family member the player characters have the players will start making orphaned characters so as to reduce their vulnerability. If backstory just punishes the player than the player will stop making it.

[@menollyesteb592]

My opinion is that backstories are collaborative. If I want to change a backstory I run it by my player and they have a chance to tell me why it's important to them that their mother be sweet and caring. I have a chance to respond why it's important that she be snarky and eventually one person gets the other on board with their idea. If no compromise can be reached then maybe their mother USED to be kind and sweet but some event has embittered her. I may be lucky or inexperienced or both, but I've never run into a story element that cannot be agreed upon

[@ChrissyPlus]

I think this is a good approach, especially because you never know what kind of changes might have an impact on the player because of their real life. If they had a mother that was snarky And that brings real things up for them that they don't want to be role playing, that's pretty important. And it makes it a lot easier to avoid conflict when the player isn't in a position where they have to either ignore discomfort with the change and have to continue RP or justify why they're upset about something to the GM after it's already happened as opposed to letting them know something would be upsetting

[@notlibatiusborage8645]

Every backstory I've written as a player, and every backstory I've received as a GM has been tweaked a little here and there, sometimes prior to play, sometimes during. What I always do is highlight any named NPC. Makes it easier for the GM to see who matters, and easier for the player(or me) when one of those names pops up. I'm also a fan of the abridged key event timeline summary. Birth: born in X to a family Y Age 10: picked up a bow for the first time Age 15: killed their first deer Age 17: accidentally put and arrow through a drunk in the woods who turned out to be the local lord. Imprisoned Age 20: escaped during a mass breakout Currently: on the run, longing for home.

[@samuelhagberg3694]

My view on PC backstories is that, though you can play and have fun without them, they heavily enhance the game and your enjoyment of it.

[@ilpregno2632]

I couldn't keep watching your videos in the last months, I come back to this one and the first thing I thought is "who the hell did make Guy angry?!?!" :D I just feel this video comes from a specific event happened in the past days. Anyway, months have passed but your videos are still great. Hope you're doing well, keep going!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Welcome back!

[@ziggy78eog]

No! Do not just change a character's backstory without that character's approval! Just plain no! Now, if you have an idea about the character, that you might think will fit into your campaign, you discuss it with that player, and ask them. Work with that player to make the adjustments to the backstory, but if the player says no, then that is it. It cannot be co-operative, if it only goes one way.

[@RasAlCool]

Yeah, that part I disagreed with. Using the example of the surprise "turns out your mother was actually a terrible person to everyone but you", what happens when the player just does not want to go there? Do they reroll a new character? Also, if my one page backstory mentions I was raised by my poor but wholesome aunt of meager stature, and suddenly she's rich because you need someone with a castle in your story, it sounds like you mining backgrounds for more NPCs to shoehorn into your plot is more important than any impact those choices could have on the player and their character. Especially given that the player in this hypothetical didn't like that direction. Not saying you can never do that, but personally I would run it by the player, and would NEVER tell them "tough &$%#... I'm the DM so I'm doing it anyways". Realizing your relatives are actually jerks is something some players can roll with, but others it might turn them off their own character.

[@hugofontes5708]

Exactly what had me checking the comments here, I didn't like that advice either but now many people seem to care I don't think comparing it to the adventure is fair either, because you can't simply railroad the players and call it fun, you literally have to accept players can go wherever and mess shit up but you don't have to mess with players' backstories _unless your own plan demands so_ and if it does then IMHO it is a shitty plan so you should know better and plan differently. The moment a GM were to just push something into my background like that without running through it first I'd be walking

[@michaelramon2411]

I would say that the most justifiable version of this is if the change to the backstory is an in-universe shocking revelation. For example, Luke wrote in his backstory that his father is a dead Jedi, and the GM decided it would be more dramatic if Luke's father was actually a living villain who Luke merely THOUGHT was dead. Even if you're not going that far, there can be some fun roleplaying to be had if learning that your cool uncle was actually a serial con artist, or that your father was actually framed for killing your mother is something you the player did not know before the character did. That obviously requires a) the twist being a good enough story to justify the change, b) the GM knowing the players well enough to believe that they'll like the twist, c) the players trusting the GM's belief that the nonconsensual change makes the story better. Overall, Guy seemed rather dictatorial in this particular video.

[@RasAlCool]

@@hugofontes5708 For sure! PCs generally go in whatever direction you never anticipated so you definitely have to roll with it. I'm all for surprise events related to backgrounds being incorporated, but if the DM makes surprise fundamental changes that the player isn't comfortable with and they have no choice but to accept it, that's a problem.

[@RasAlCool]

@@michaelramon2411 I think your a), b), c) comment is basically how it should be. I'm not against backgrounds being mined for surprises or twists, but in the example Guy gave, the player in question was not comfortable with the change, and Guy's DM reply was basically "I'm altering your background. Pray I don't alter it further." (continuing your SW theme :P ) A DM's story should never hinge on retconning a character's backstory without consent and approval. As presented with the "aunt" example, the player didn't like the update but the DM went with a never popular "my way or the highway" reply anyways. So yeah... I'm all for leveraging backgrounds in interesting ways, but make sure it's something the player you're affecting will be ok with. Or at least build up to it :P Don't start with "your rich aunt invites you to her castle" and wonder why the player is getting defensive.

[@MegaMawileTheNommer]

I get the desire of a one page backstory, a summary, but then you go on to punish that player for not including a specific detail in that one page summary. I have to say, that seems very absolute of an attitude and ignores different play styles, GMing styles, etc. For example, our group does longer backstories, and tapers them to match our level. We create cliffnotes for easy reference for the GM. Remember, there is often not a bad player, just often a bad fit for the group.

[@nucleargandhi2709]

Yeah, these are very limiting, sometimes self-contradictory standards that hardly work across a wide variety of tables.

[@JagEterCoola]

A backstory _when you write It as the player yourself on your own time_ should be about... Half a page per level, I tend to say, or a full page If you're starting at level 2 or 1. And It should foremost be a summary of what has lead them to becoming an adventurer or a coal miner or a Paladin or whatever. If that can be conveyed accurately in fewer words, great - go for It. However, that's not your backstory. Your backstory happens when you sit down with your DM and you discuss. Okay, so your Paladin was stabbed through the chest when he was young and miraculously survived... You know what, what If instead he was resurrected by a Vampiric Deity after being stabbed through the heart, and your character Is her adopted son after the tragedy that befell his home? In which, the Player can go; Well, yes that's quite great, but you see I'm a Ragathelian Paladin which Is important due to his oath of vengeance... And then the DM just smiles and says that It's alright, and as you play the character you start naturally having a conflict of faith. You have Ragathiel, your patron deity - You wield his weapon and smite in his name... But he's never said anything to you. He's not saved your life like the vampire deity did at a sacrifice, he's not kept you safe through the absolute travesty of your past. No, he's been doing whatever an Empyreal lord does. And that's fine, you convince yourself. You smite in his name, but there's less fervor there. You start presenting your adoptive mother's holy symbol, your skin drains of colour as the now-vampiric blood that flows in your veins begins solidifying as you progress in levels, you're losing your faith - You're losing your faith to Ragathiel, but you're gaining faith in the deity that you know Is real, the one you have seen and the one that you know saves people. You are still a Paladin, but your methods drift. You start casting Death Knell because you consider It a necessity, you're steadfast in your faith, and you are no closer to falling than you were earlier. You're just a new breed of Paladin. A Paladin that slays in the name of the Blood Queen rather than vengeance of Ragathiel. You've tasted vengeance, and It was just not sweet enough. ^Current Backstory of a Pathfinder character I'm playing right now.

[@michaelramon2411]

My main campaign's PC backstories: The Investigator is a security guard and wannabe apprentice at the town's mage's guild. The guild has become the party's main supporting faction, and the character has gotten a lot respect at his place of work as the party keeps bringing back ancient esoteric objects to study. The Magus was a soldier in the anti-demon crusades and lost his arm (he has a prosthetic). This made him obsessed with fighting "demons" (his catch-all term for extraplanar evil). The campaign is not remotely about fighting demons (the player knows this, and we have lots of fun with the character misinterpreting things), but I made one minor antagonist a tiefling with some spooky magic so the character could have a "I. Was. RIGHT!" moment. The Spiritualist (and his ghost brother) is a member of a sort of punk-hedonist society that worships a kinda heretical Neutral version of the Neutral Evil goddess of undeath (focusing on her support of indulgence). But mostly they just party. They became a significant part of a plotline involving zombie attacks and a recurring vampire antagonist (they were innocent, but no one believed them). The Oracle was raised in a controlling evil cult before she escaped. I integrated them and several NPCs the player created into the overall villainous faction. Much has come of the fact that neither the NPC nor the player has fully shared this background, which leads to tons of suspicious behavior as the character trusts certain "strangers" immediately and stays far away from other, more friendly (but secretly evil) characters. The Kineticist is a plant person who was made by a crazy druid who believed that aliens control everything and civilization is just their way of running things. That druid then went missing and the character is searching for him, though it's almost comical how little luck he's had in finding the druid. Eventually it will be discovered that the druid was actually a retired agent of one of the antagonist organizations, and his disappearance was him being called back to active duty. I also placed a thing the party was going to go looking for in the character's home forest, and the party got to meet his dozen or so wacky siblings. A very memorable sequence.

[@synthetic20]

In my current campaign, we did four preamble games where we played through the "most important" event in each PCs' life. I trust my players fully, been playing for years, so they didn't metagame any player knowledge into their characters. Each person played their characters, and the rest of the crew played important NPCs in the background of their stories. My favorite moment of these preamble games was that one of the PCs had a brother that faked his own death in the preamble. One of the other players was playing that NPC and knew the entire campaign. When the reveal happened a year later, it was a campaign-making moment. The player that played the brother had given nothing away in that year, and that is just one reason that I love my table.

[@timkramar9729]

As a player, I never really developed a back story. I swing a sword, kill things, and take their stuff.

[@evelynda5235]

I disagree on changing backstories. I think its ok to give input if they ask and you get veto power. But once you approve a backstory then you should honor it. Its fine to add around it. Like what the npcs they mentioned were up to, or secrets they had. Etc. But i wouldn't add something the PC experienced.

[@stanwolford9743]

My experience is that the player perks up with excitement (or dread) when a part of their background is put into the spotlight. It doesn’t even have to be full backstory but even a reference to their chosen background (D&D 5e).

[@JacksonOwex]

I think I might need to work on my OWN backstories!!! I believe the last one I did was just a bit more than one and a half pages!!

[@Roflo13east]

The only thing I think is maybe don't change backstories for the players on the fly, because it feel like it would remove any option to discuss and collaborate on the alterations since it would grind the session to a halt. This in turn creates a "yes/no" situation where it can only feel conflictive rather than constructive.

[@mr6ttv]

If my players don't give me backstory, I just start implementing what I think is their backstory into the story until it annoys them enough to give me what they want, hasn't failed yet, if they don't like what you implement for them they are quick to speak up

[@johncooper9907]

I love that you included the second mistake. Whenever someone talks about these kinds of things, it feels like they completely exclude that the PC's can just choose not to write a backstory. In the past, it's just generally been expected that if they don't bother, they don't want to play, so they're just not invited. I prefer your way much more.

[@boris2342]

played a game of D+D we were in a cave and the thief (the DM's Wife) climbed up a ledge with a rope and hook the dm asked her do you leave the rope hanging or pull it up again? she pulls it up. got attacked by spiders paralyzed and killed. Of course none of us could climb up to save her and without the rope can't reach the exit. DM days well there is no food or water in cave so you all wonder aimlessly till you starve to death. My fighter did not even get 1 attack in the whole module. I Never went back

[@jackielinde7568]

Yeah, that sounds like a bad DM. If you got in, there should be a way out. Sounded like the DM was bored and wanted out of the campaign.

[@hugofontes5708]

You say "module", I assume this was a ready adventure I'm split between blaming the module and the DM But why would the thief take away the one rope you had and needed in order to leave?

[@jackielinde7568]

@@hugofontes5708 The real question is, "why isn't an experienced party of adventures laden down with 200 feet of rope each? Hemp Rope, never leave home without it. ;) I still blame the DM.

[@hugofontes5708]

@@jackielinde7568 yeah, it happens, specially when the party is new to the game

[@Alex-sf5uz]

I've never been the biggest fan of backstorys, always kept mine very short, i enjoy randomly generated backstorys and have had some fun with them, i also like the idea I've seen in some systems where you start at 0lvl with a few characters each and the ones that survive become your level 1 character thus generating a backstory through play. Good video

[@michaelthomasen2190]

As mentioned in the video, the backstorys are an oppotunity for the players to contribute to my world and for me to develop plot hooks tailored to each player. I strongly advise my players to give me a little something to work with. What I then do is take that information and write a story back at them, to let them know how their backstorys translate into my world, giving them bits of valuable information about my world, appropriate to their characters (the bard knows some local legends, the rogue knows some key criminals of some major cities etc.) This way of doing it came about because our 1. session got postponed for 3 months and I wanted to keep the energy going in some small way. Our first session is finally coming up and the players are as eager as ever :-)

[@joeydk]

I think the most valuable lesson new GM's (and probably seasoned ones as well) should take from this video is 'communicate with players about their backstory'. The scenario where you as the GM receive a one page backstory ready for implementing into your campaign is inexistent. You'll get a first draft, see its good parts and its flaws, throw some advice and ideas to the player, get a second draft, repeat until both parties are satisfied. Cooperative is the keyword of this process!

[@TM-nv]

My favorite thing to do is, get ready for this, ask the GM if backstories will be used in the game, or if they are just for us as players to have fun with. If they are going to be used, woven into a/the Plot, I try and schedule a session -1 with the GM (pre session 0) for us to co write the backstory together. Usually I write up a quick synopsis of what I'd like, see if they like it, and then ask them questions such that they can fill in the details for me.

[@larsdahl5528]

It is a concept included in some RPG systems. Often called "Prelude" (not session -1) if done with each player individually, or "Prologue" if with everyone at the same time, and are carried out between "Session Zero" and "Session One".

[@endorb]

To me, the best backstories have a set of strong details to draw from. I want it to be brief, but I want to see the character making important decisions in their backstory; For example, in my latest PC, she made the decision to steal from the rich, whom she's a member of, to give to the poor; not just the rich, but a particular rich person she dislikes. Then, when the guy is trying to reclaim his possessions by force from someone in the street, she gets overwhelmed with rage and stab him. That backstory tells me way more about the character than some backstories I get, like the warforged who was sent to be decomissioned for being defective, but the ship crashed and they escaped through no agency of their own. And while backstory isn't the only way to flesh out a character in the way of how they think and act, it's the only part of the page which is demonstration rather than exposition

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

My problem with backstory is that most GM's weaponize it. They kill people your character cares for and/or destroy where your character is from. Vengeance as a motivator is sooooo bloody DULL. It works for *some* characters, but not all. And if you actually WANT the vengeance to *feel* right. Do it AFTER spending time with the character. How am I supposed to care as a player that my characters parent has been killed if we never spent ANY time with them in the game. Sure I can just rp them being upset, but as I said. Most of the time vengeance as motivation is dull and doesn't fit the character.

[@mariingitsauve7196]

I've changed my backstory many times, and I can tell you how much more interesting and fleshed out it was than the first idea.

[@Hewhowantstoknow]

As a forever DM whenever a player tells me I can't do something as a DM: Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much time I spend on this game? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop prepping and showing up for games? An entire world and game goes belly up. Disappears! It ceases to exist without me. No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not the one that needs permission. I am the permission. A guy gets told no to his overpowered Homebrew and you think that of me? No. I am the one who DMs!

[@justinsinke2088]

Backstories can be a bit of a mixed bag. At the very least, if I were to run a game, I'd want my players to have at least a simple backstory just so their characters have an identity beyond their sheet. Make them answer "who are you" and not just "what are you". It also, if used right, gives players a foundation of how they act now based on how they've developed in that past backstory so that not everything is neutral. Even if as the GM I didn't intend the hook, a scene can inherently become more dynamic if it even incidentally resonates with the backstory they made. Using backstories directly in I often worry will take things in an unwanted direction for the player I'm using and harm their fun as my interpretation and usage of their backstory inadvertently changes the context of things to the point of implications that feel like they change the very nature of the character. Maybe that's just me overstressing, but the usage of a backstory I feel should be flexible on both sides; adding events should be done sparingly and "well that was then, this is now" can be far too heavy handed. Yes, times change and people change, but if a player looks at your changes and is confused because it doesn't make sense to them, work out an A-B path or compromise to both parties satisfaction rather than tell the player "STFU I'm the GM this NPC is mine to do with whatever I want", because that's a quick way to make a player feel "well why did I make a backstory in the first place if you're just going to 'evolve' everything in it beyond recognition?".

[@johnmossfordmacgregor973]

In my recent Runequest campaign I played three to four, short, individual sessions with each four of the five players who then came together for the campaign Six Seasons in Sartar (great campaign). This took a couple of months to do first. This allowed the player’s and me to get to grips with Runequest’s unique world of Glorantha and the Gods as well as the rule system, that proved so important to the players, as well as the understanding of the Bronze Age culture and politics of the regions they would be playing in or their backstory had been set in. This proved to be incredibly useful for all involved and meant the player’s and the GM had a good understanding of each other’s narrative goals. The fifth player wrote a detailed and long backstory. This vid says it all.....

[@robertabarnhart6240]

If someone gave me an outlandish backstory about beating Orcus and stuff, I'd accept it - as a delusion the character has. In reality he's a peasant who was kicked in the head by a mule and ever since has believed all this fantastic stuff about himself.

[@beammeupscott3032]

The shade he casts on the “make my backstory as we go along” was enough to make my lights go out.

[@beammeupscott3032]

Disagree on the last one though, you can set up events like “where where you when the death star blew up?” But don’t like taking control of players like that.

[@jeratrend357]

I say it's incredibly important! When I started the campaign that I've been running for over a year, and I started to include their backstories, all of my players were like "I've never had a GM include my backstory! This is awesome!" It's been a wild ride since.

[@chrishardy3439]

This is great to see because as a new DM before the pandemic, I had given input on all my players backstories as to how they would fit into the world; weeks before the first session. All but one, who was a 15-16 kid who’d been a regular with our group almost as long as I had been, who gave me his backstory an hour before the first session.. After I gave him feedback on how to work his character into the current narrative (over a meetup app that he was notoriously bad at responding to) and 2 weeks before the next session. At the next session he tried to do something based on part of his backstory that I told him needed to be amended, so I told him he couldn’t do it at the table.. He never returned to another session of any of our rotating campaigns after that and I always wondered if this incident had something to do with it, or if it was because it was now September and he was now back to his Junior/Senior year of high school..

[@shadeseba599]

As a DM i'm always invested in backstories, encourage them to the players at the table and use it to build stories, encounters, adventure hooks and all. But as a player no matter if i do a short simple backstory or well rounded one, i havent had a DM interested in use them or build it together. 18 years of playing and i still struggle with that. Maybe its me, or my culture, or something different but i will always encourage them, build them with the players and use the backstories, that's for sure. Great vid and really good points wich i agree.

[@DoctorLazers]

I always tell people, "Save it for the game." They give me these crazy, long, complicated backstories. No, keep it simple. The most interesting things that happen in your character's life should happen IN THE GAME!

[@eternal7912]

I'm personally a huge fan of backstories (and tend to be guilty of writing long ones with some of my characters, though I try to condense them for the DM after its been written). In my upcoming campaign, I very much plan to incorporate backstories to help drive the players and keep them engaged, as well as to help me piece the plot and world together. One of my favorite of my player characters was for the game City of the Mist. She's basically someone who died and came back with the mythos of a vampire... oh and also amnesia. She doesn't know who she was in life, or how she died, except that she was murdered and dumped in the ocean. Ultimately, she has the shortest backstory I've ever written, with more of a focus on describing her personality and what she woke up to as a vampire. So much of her character arch has been her discovering herself and trying to learn about her past (which I told the DM to make up for me with very few limitations). Scarlett has not only been a blast to roleplay, but also my longest running character, as most of the campaigns I've been in have fizzled out.

[@jakecain-roser7736]

I actually haven't involved character specific missions in my campaigns and I love the idea. Thank you!

[@davidioanhedges]

Always if it's what they did, they get to decide, the GM doesn't, if it's what their closest relatives did then it's a discussion, I don't feel that that the GM should fundamentally alter the major childhood influences too much as it will affect the PC, if it's a peripheral character then it's fair game ...

[@jayteepodcast]

Backstory should be the current challenge the character is facing in the current time. Writing Backstory that explain stats makes more sense 🤔 and can explain proficiency and flaws. Telling storylines from the Character Sheet

[@motomuto3313]

My upcoming campaign has character templates with a brief back story that can be added to. My rule is 1-page back story in addition to the pc template back story.

[@ty2274]

It entirely depends on each table and party. I've been running a campaign for 5 years, and we've touched on all 6 player's backstories, 2 of them gave me 20+ page stories complete with reference images and footnotes on their views of the npcs and relationships. The rest of the players range between a few text messages to 5 pages. We've fit it all in somewhere so far, just started endgame and should be wrapping up by this time next year!

[@murgel2006]

Well, character backstory can be really nice. Personally, I do approach it as follows: 1. IF you want to have skills or knowledge due to your backstory you have to come to the DM with some ideas and then we build the reasons for those together. 2. IF your backstory does not provide any skills, advantages etc. do whatever you want. 3. In a system where the background defines the character (example: TDE 4.x) you have to have at least a bullet point for the important skills. Say you have good sword skills because you used to be a gladiator give me the name of your trainer or a few arenas you fought in or...

[@tnttv5360]

2 things: 1. I know it is nitpicking but I think the example for writing the bs on the run was a bit unfitting. Most languages a pc can speak, in most games, are set by their character stats and abilities. I really like developing a bs on the run, since it gives cool opportunities to interact with current in game events. Im on your page, that you should have a base story. 2. I like two pages of backstory. One page with the backstory and on the other page an easy to read list of named npcs inside the story. This way the dm has less work, when he is planning to involve a backstory npc. Just look it up on the second page and ready to go. Great video anyway.

[@russelljacob7955]

The biggest mistake and personally largest aggravation for myself as both a GM and player in regards to backstory is when somebody feels they should be able to do something (usually without a check) because 'it is in their backstory'. While I do use this in narrative, ie does said npc know them and what not, if sid backstory reasoning can be done via a dice roll, then it should be reflected in your character setup. Like ancient elven example. Is Elven a known language and do you have any ranks in relevant linguistics skill? No? Then I do not care what your backstory says. This I let my players know. You have a character sheet, all created using rules of the game. Have your backstory reflect how you got your skills and what not, because end of day, if your backstory and skills dont mesh, then neither will your roleplay when backstory comes in. IE, Your prestigious home schooled noble first set out to adventure in session one? Then your raging barbarian int dumpstat murderhobo build probably wont mesh well when you return to the castle for a dinner. I mean, any roleplayer can work it, but then that is still fitting backstory to your build.

[@LordReginaldMeowmont]

I love you acting like the snarky mother NPC to respond to criticism about the snarky mother NPC. That was perfect.

[@flashfloodninja]

It's interesting to see the different views on this topic. Depending on how you want to run it, there's no right or wrong way. In fact, I've run my character backgrounds entirely emergent: minimal biographical information provided; then, the GM is allowed to reveal/introduce elements of your backstory and it's your challenge to incorporate it; likewise, you can interject with an emergent background piece, and the DM can typically work it in, alter it, or veto it. It really requires the development of trust and cooperation between the DM and the players to make it work, and it can be challenging to make it function with munchkins- but not impossible!

[@Atlas-pn6jv]

Great timing! Session zero is this friday and this is my first major campaign as a DM.

[@larsdahl5528]

Good luck! Are you going to do some Prelude/Prologue (GM-assisted character and backstory creation)?

[@nikkoquill]

Good luck! Are you running homebrew setting or some of the published ones? Or a mix? 😂

[@Atlas-pn6jv]

@@larsdahl5528 we are doing that on Friday. I won't be doing a session where we play it out, but I will be helping them because the world is homebrew.

[@Atlas-pn6jv]

@@nikkoquill it's homebrew. I have done a bunch of one shots in the past, mostly homebrew. I've actually found it easier to keep track in my mind, and imagination, if I am running homebrew. But I am not opposed to mixing in modules and just adapting them to the world if I get bad writer's block.

[@nikkoquill]

@@Atlas-pn6jv Nice! Same here. Good luck and have fun!

[@MegaMawileTheNommer]

I adore your videos guy! Thanks for so much great content over the years!

[@RoninRaconteur]

I do that with my players since I utilize their backstories to help design the campaign itself. Then I use the events I add into it to help weave it into a connective story line, while still giving them their individual stories. I find this for the collaborative storytelling element helps keep the players motivated and interested throughout the whole game. This is great for anyone looking for that advice they need to help players that perhaps are new to this and even GMs that are new. Great video!

[@FlippedOutGymnast]

I give my players a 1 sheet form with specific questions for the campaign. I tell them the form is required and I'll be using it and they can write whatever additional they like but I might or might not do anything with it.

[@shenthekinkoumaster3369]

long long time ago I played warhammer campaign as a halfling scout. Role and overall game was pretty average but to make things more interesting I tinkered with my backstory. To this day I remember how GM looked at me and said "and now as you go with caravan you see a cow up the hill looking at you. It moos" and shivers came down my spine as other players didn't know what is going on. My backstory was that I was kicked out of my village for falling in love with local holy cow worshipped for her rain bringing powers. Ever since I was cursed to suffer laughter everywhere I go, but also blessed since I could sense danger. Every time cow looked at me and mooed that was a sign of death approaching. There was also my semi-battle sheep that I rode into a battle more than once. That was cool. GM using this backstory and my sheep to create more and more adventures (to save me or sheep) was amazing. I loved it. People loved it to in the end... before they killed my sheep for meat and I went into full khorne berserk mode trying to kill them just to die seconds later from one fist attack. That was a good campaign. Loved roleplay

[@alexanderchippel]

Always thoroughly read your players backstories. I'm running a Mutants and Masterminds game where one of the PCs is an AI that was designed by a stock management company to make investments. His backstory states that the company caused an economic crisis and they blamed it on the AI and trief to delete it, but he was able to escape before they did so and now he wants revenge. If I had better read his backstory I'd probably be able to explain to him that if a company made an AI that crashed the economy, the company would still be in deep shit and blaming their new experimental technology would just make them look worse

[@Konnkord]

My players don't like backstories, and when they do write them, they either make them very neutral (with nothing to bring up later), or they try to change too much of the world. But when they do, I like backstories, and I like them up to like 3 pages (though I only expect less than one). Sometimes players like describing some more important events (the time they got that golden fish confiscated and tried to get it back) and I like it.

[@asheirahs_nook]

As a player, I usually give my dm a rough outline and collaborate with him to what would fit in the campaign, and then write about a page and a half, maybe two pages max. About the reciprocity, I don't mind the dm changing things up or adding things, I just wouldn't want to be presented with the changes in game without being notified or given a heads up, especially if they're important. Otherwise I'm totally fine with it, and love to see what the dm does with everyone's backstory and the lore in general 👌

[@TenkaiHimura]

Thank you for your great content, am really enjoying it. :) As a player I tend to be the kind of person who writes maybe a little bit too much, because I get all excited about my character, and I realy need to pull myself back with that. As a DM, though until now only in other Systems but DnD, though my first Kampaign as a DM is on the horizon, I like having good backstorys of my players. I don't mind having to read a couple of pages, as long as the player doesn't expect me to memorize it and the player knows what he wrote and acts accordingly during playsessions when it comes up. What I really don't like is players providing no backstory whatsoever, it just makes me feel as if they don't care about their character or roleplay.

[@Gillyweedkid]

As someone coming from a creative writing background, I have a Heck of an issue keeping backstories short and clipped. Doesn't help I write a character and then fit them to class and so forth, but hearing this is make me see that whole I wrote 3 pages to explain who my character is and how they got there and why they think the way they do.... Others most likely didn't read it 😅

[@carlh7714]

I told my players where their backstories got them, but left the how up to them. 1 added a location to my world, one added a clan, and one gave me a way to do something plot-wise that I wanted to do, but had previously thought of no good way to do. Backstories equal collaboration.

[@timidwolf]

In the last game I played the GM tried to run a whole campaign with PCs he'd pre-written for us and they all had amnesia and no signs of regaining memories, even our own skills where hidden from us and only revealed at the GM's whim (which was not often). Can't remember being so uninvested in a game ever!

[@schecter006]

Yup, I love adding backstories into my game big time.

[@G.A.N.]

i have one player in my party that doesnt want to make backstorries and it drives me crazy. i personally think that any backstory is good, as long as it exists, because it shows how player Care about being Own character in game. the player i spoke of alwyas play cleric only and choose only healing spells, along with tons of weird shenanigams like mutliple archetypes, multiclassing, some weird multi domain stuff combined with just a bunch of "How to make my healing the strongest" stuff in the end whenver we try to talk to him, he never know how to act, he dont know anything of his character how he would behave, nothing interesting at all, and players just preffer to Not talk to him at all, because his reaction is always the same. He just dont care about his character so much, that maybe a backstory Prewritten before session would help everyone make some interactions with him, but no. Meanwhile during combat! he just skips a turn if noone is hurt and somehow manage to cast such spells that heals everyone for full HP constantly, causing entire combat experience to be wayyyy to easy and not enjoyable to me. it feels like playing some strategy game on cheat codes, no fear of death because some storyless Stranger that Somehow is a part of our Party just makes everything wayyy to easy and never speaks or react to someone speaking to him. so in the end i belive Backstories are important to make Any kind of Base of character, allowing both players and Gm to make situations with such players who "dont feel like speaking" in a Gosh darn cooperative Fun game - it is not damn cs:go, please people make backstories so when some player wanna know your PC better, you have ANYTHING to say back!

[@SendohJin]

sometimes a DM just has to put their foot down. no multiclassing ever in my games without a well written DM approved plot reason. Same with feats.

[@michellethomas6494]

Great insight. I especially found the how to coach your players into right direction useful. The people Im playing with right now are used to a DM versus player/ kick in the door type game, so its been hard to get them to care much about backstory. I recently kind of tricked them all into a backstory by having separated group prologue games that gave each group different information on the main story. That worked well, but was a lot of work to pull off, and i feel like it was a bit of a railroad adventure.

[@DoomDispenser25]

Seeing Guy get sassy in this video just makes my day. lol

[@Tizzandor]

I have been on both sides of the screen, and with that on both sides of the backstory discussion. So far it went well. the first time i developed a character for one of my best friends, we were talking about his history as a collosseum fighter, he gave me a lot of great points and NPCs I could use and the Story will be lovely as soon as we can play again then on the other hand, the backstory for my Grung Sorcerer was "woke up one day, had no memory of what happened and got some strange Tattoos which grand the wild magic. the GM jumped on it with an idea of "could there be a crystal in your Forhead, that is the centerpoint of the tats and the wildmagic? Sure

[@hannah1386]

With the character’s backstory develops over time. I have a character who has amnesia because I can’t figure out what to do yet with her backstory. But I’m not going to add anything to her character sheet even after I decide what her backstory is because of the reason you talked about. It also gives her this uncertainty about herself that I think adds to her character.

[@LordSephleon]

I've been in love with DMing ever since I started back in '96 (got into tabletop RPGs in '95), and as an avid writer and reader, I generally prefer at least a couple of pages of backstory because the more content I'm given, the more I can work with, especially since some content just won't be useful at all. This sort of stems from having been the most detail-oriented person in my longtime group - 25 years this coming Fall/Winter - and being almost disappointed with backstories I'm used to seeing (not that group alone) where I had to practically work creative miracles to transform the sometimes-minimal and blasé content I'm given into elaborate plot hooks and adventures that still get talked about years later. Granted: I've only been able to really pull that particular stunt off a few times in my perpetual road to improving my DMing skills (the random adventures and stories tend to be better remembered as I improvise well), but sometimes a lead ingot is just a lead ingot, regardless of how much gold you paint on it. Also, an observation I've made about players over the years: some players I've DMed almost seem to finagle their fonts and sizes (or handwriting) almost as though they were writing a school report. Single spaced 10 pt Times New Roman font has been my personal standard ever since typing became the norm, so it sometimes feels like I'm grading a creative writing assignment when I read backstories. :)

[@ajlynema]

In regards to a backstory, I look it as the player telling what happened as they remember it. When you look at it this way, it’s easy to change, add, or remove items in a backstory. My current PC is a Dragonborn barbarian that had escaped out of a giant civil war involving most of the Dragonborn races. After giving my DM my backstory, I told him that my character has been told one story behind the war by his leaders but has found contradictory stories. I told my DM the direction he wants to take it is up to him. If he wants my pc to be now following a demon disguised as an ancient dragon, have fun with it. If he wants my pc to now become a Paladin in the story because the dragon I’m following is actually a god, so be it.

[@biffstrong1079]

I'm trying to incorporate some back-story. It has been kind of fun so far. It gives me some hooks to work with and makes it easier for the players to 'play" their characters. But I am mostly interested in the fore story, well really the story the players create through the adventure.

[@ZvelHaj]

I’m surprised that more people aren’t giving questionnaires to their players. Giving some framework makes it way easier on the players than “write a backstory,” and you ensure that you’ve got the kind of things you can use. Stuff like: - “What happened to your parents?” - “Describe two events that changed you, one good one bad” - “Who or what is depending on you?” - And my favorite, the question that sets up everyone gathering for session 1. Something like “why are you in jail,” “why are you on the lightning rail to Sharn,” or “why are you running through the woods?”

[@PsychicSoldierPro]

as a DM and maybe because of my background as a writer, I very much want my players to give me detailed backstories that, although still answering those basic questions, gives me more details about how the PC should be acting and why they act certain ways. Plus of course, it lets me integrate the PC into the world I've built, give them a personal questline, etc. I think generally speaking, if I had to say what I'm most guilty of is probably altering events of PC backstories just like that since it kinda feels wrong in a way and idk why, but if I have to alter events in a backstory, I usually will need a solid reason outside of "I'm the DM" since that doesn't tend to get me that far but complaints from the players till I back down and stop changing things. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not too good at just putting my foot down as a DM since I'm personally not very dominant, personality wise as I tend to prefer to follow, rather then lead per say. So as much as I'd like to change backstory points, half the time, I just don't know when is a good time and the other half is players getting upset about it and I basically end up losing that chance and I end up backing down because I don't have the guts to face them walking out the campaign. Guess it's more a personal thing, but without being able to find someone else to teach me how to handle situations like this as a DM and maintain order, I don't know what to do

[@JustInTimeWorlds]

A lot of this also applies to main characters in books 🤧😉

[@neillore7332]

I tell my players they can either give me a few paragraphs of backstory and be rewarded with a roll on the magic items table, or start with the free feat "amnesia". Works like a charm - if they roll you not only get some backstory, you get tons of story ideas. You might think this would cause balance issues, but it hasn't for me. A level one character with a 30,000 gold magic item has a big problem - keeping their 30,000 gold magic item. You flash that thing in public a few times someone's gonna bonk you and take it. I always warn my players about having more power than they can protect before they roll their dice. Sometimes the players try to sell it right away at a steep discount, which is your first adventure written for you - how do they find someone who can pay for this, how much can they get, and how will they convince whoever they sell it to that it's not stolen? Sometimes they get out of town and never show their shiny thing to anyone ever until they are high enough level to hold on to it, and here is where you start tracking arrows and rations and encumbrance. "Sure you can resupply... but that means human contact. How many rations are written on your character sheet again?" They wants your precious! Plus it's a great source of unexpected story - one character rolled a Book of Vile Darkness. That was all I needed for a really fun campaign. The amnesia perk is tons of fun, and as a storyteller I love knowing I always have that in my back pocket. I ask them what the first thing their character remembers and what they've done since and off we go. The ability to sparingly impact the story with events relating to their forgotten lives is all kinds of story telling monkey wrench.

[@syvajarvi2289]

As a player and DM, I love back stories. What I tell my players and I do this myself….. a lvl 1 character’s back story is going to be different than a lvl 5 vs lvl 10 and so on. Expect a level 1 character to be “green as grass”…. Even if it’s an “older character. If a middle aged character is lvl 1 but is an expert in something…. Explain to me why he/she is the artful Dodger, a paragraph will do. Give me a few NPCs with the character’s relationship and broad brush strokes what the NPC was doing…..Pull out the world map and where were they last seen by the character. I’ve turned a few NPCs into Lieutenant level BBEG. In most campaigns I’m involved in, the characters will be at a minimum lvl 5. Same process with a little more detail since they are higher level with a bit more experience. I’m willing to suspend disbelief with some things but surviving an ancient red dragon in a brawl for it all will be twisted into something more realistic at a later time. Had a player who did that one but she was in on the twist…. Lvl 5 Sorlock for the win.

[@hugofontes5708]

I think backstories are important in a few ways As a GM, it helps me not to constantly have to guess and create things to keep pushing that character into action because I know their motivations It helps me and the players build the world collectively as we ask the player with The Character That Knows/Did/Went X what thing Y is like All this collaborates to a more custom and interesting story by me. I need at least a motivation or goal to keep things running smoothly As a player, backstories help me have references to what my character is like so I don't have to come up with so many things on the spot and watch what I'm doing because everything comes more naturally as I play I used to be very bad at writing them and can say for sure things just got better as I improved at it and at helping my players build their backstories. Which brings me to the one disagreement I have with this video: I don't add to my players' backstories without checking with them first. I might tell them something that happened in-between adventures or scenes, or just before the campaign started, but I will not go and add an arbitrary event to their story just as I won't let them add random treasure to my dungeons

[@stevenphilpott4294]

"Go sit in the corner, with the average GMs" 🔥🔥🔥 Watching Guys video has pushed me to be a better player, can't criticise average GMs if I'm going to be an average player

[@EksaStelmere]

I was just prepping to run a new campaign, so this came at a good time.

[@hannesverstreken4403]

The first time i played i hardly knew what was expected of 'writing your backstory'. After a few sessions i asked the gm if i could rewrite it a bit since it was only 5 lines long. He agreed, but never did anything with it sadly... Now that i run my first campaign, i did a poll if they wanted to include backstory. They all agreed to somewhat use it. When i asked for backstories however, i didn't get much from most of the PC. This gives me great freedom, but also not that much to work with. Because of this i'm a bit unsure how to handle 'backstory' of said PC.

[@StompinPaul]

I'm going to speak as a player more than a GM because my GM experience is very limited. I'm generally a fan of developing out my backstory and having it come up in campaigns, but I've also been finding cases where it's irrelevant or even unhelpful. The obvious answers are playing a module, where it's hard to work it in and keep things working in the intended way, or somewhat related when you're working with a new GM. Keeping track of backstories can be a lot while they're still trying to pick up the very basics, so it might be better not to have them. I've also had the occasional character myself, and know a few players who generally, for whom a backstory would get in the way more than help. Either they're more interested in the mechanics, or they're happy playing a supporting role, or similar things mean they don't feel the need for one themselves and not having one and missing out on those character adventures or story beats suits them just fine. Either way, it comes down to knowing and/or talking to your players, and figuring out how they want to interact with the game.

[@GalliadII]

I often put in blank spots and mysteries into my backstories. and when I am the GM I encourage my players to do the same. And the bigger the mystery, the more I can do with it.

[@Lionrhod212]

So here we are in Icewind Dale. My character is a rogue raised by druids (her father and brother) and I won't go into the longer backstory. (Which I promise is less than a page!) She goes to Icewind Dale to seek out her older brother, MIA but last reported there. Asking around she follows rumors of him from town to town. Now already, we're noticing the strange druids of Icewind Dale. They ALL seem to be evil and they all seem to be creating awakened animals. I start wondering - has my brother become an evil druid and is one of those creating awakened animals? Is he working against this strange situation? Can we get him to aid us in bringing the awakened animals into some sort of peace? Then our party comes upon a magic mirror. I look into it and see my brother being beheaded by Xardarok Sunblight. I'm calling LAME on this. I had already heard of Xaradok, and was set on taking him out. I didn't need any prodding. I would have liked to follow up on the awakened animals situation, as would several of my comrades, who are all wondering about this aspect. Would have been cool whether he was on the good or the bad side. But no. The DM wants to go for the lowest common denominator and just kill my brother off for...whyever. IMO this is a bad way to use backstory. Yes the DM (and I've mostly played as a DM over the past 30 years, so I get it) has the RIGHT to use backstory NPCs as they wish. But seriously? To get me to go after an enemy I was ALREADY going after, with zero gained except that my PC must now be even more pissed at an enemy she's already pissed at? When the entire party is starting to think about evil druids and even about replacing the druid of Lonelywood with a good druid? Yes, use your character backstories! But at the same time, be subtle. Add nuance. follow the line of your players thinking to use that backstory to fulfill some of the questions in the campaign.

[@The_Custos]

Yes, now I make sure as a player to include being part of some sort of association or group that really helps the dm out. Taoist nomad cult was the latest one for cyberpunk.

[@jimg1787]

TV shows do this a lot. They don't give you big long back stories but they do give you insights into the characters past. Later on in the series they will use the characters backstory to create an arc that lasts several episodes or even runs through an entire series. So any good TV show will show you how to do this properly.

[@sirhamalot8651]

For those players shy of backstories, as GM, try to tie in things the characters have accomplished into future experiences. Perhaps the players save a princess and return her to the castle. When they journey to a neighboring town, have their fame, (their recent backstory) precede them and effect the way NPC's deal with the players. In other words, show through role playing how fun a backstory can be.

[@calebharendt6924]

My players are always scared when I pull out there back stories it is not always a bad thing but it is always emotional