Character Creation: Difference between revisions
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==Character Backstory== | ==Character Backstory== | ||
In general, players should come up with as much backstory as they can stand, as backgrounds provide hooks for GM's to use to customize their campaign to the characters. This lets the characters feel more like a part of the story, and makes the story seem more like it couldn't have happened with just anyone who came along. There are many, many resources on the Internet for generating a backstory, if you are stuck, or you can take inspiration from a favorite story, or movie. | In general, players should come up with as much backstory as they can stand, as backgrounds provide hooks for GM's to use to customize their campaign to the characters. This lets the characters feel more like a part of the story, and makes the story seem more like it couldn't have happened with just anyone who came along. There are many, many resources on the Internet for generating a backstory, if you are stuck, or you can take inspiration from a favorite story, or movie. | ||
That said, character backgrounds do not have any sort of game-mechanics effect on the character. Just because your character has a former military career, or used to be a reluctant member in an evil cult, doesn't mean you get bonuses in combat, or start with some scary magic item. The story is there to help you get into the head of your character, and help the other players understand what motivates you. | That said, character backgrounds do not have any sort of game-mechanics effect on the character. Just because your character has a former military career, or used to be a reluctant member in an evil cult, doesn't mean you get bonuses in combat, or start with some scary magic item. The story is there to help you get into the head of your character, and help the other players understand what motivates you. | ||
Your background should be at least a little realistic for your current character level. A first level character probably hasn't had much opportunity to become a world-famous dragon-slayer, for example. | |||
It is also important to try to keep your character's motivation and backstory at least somewhat compatible with the rest of your party. This ties in closely with alignment, but generally, a character who has no empathy and really enjoys how all that blood flies around when they kill things will probably have a hard time convincing the paladin to keep hanging out with them. | |||
You may find it fun to talk to your fellow players and see if anyone wants to share a backstory with you. Playing siblings, for example, can add a dynamic to the group that is slightly different than than "several strangers meet in a tavern" dynamic. | |||
Most of all, though, be creative. | |||
== Starting Languages == | == Starting Languages == | ||