Background Story Aid
Here are a few things to consider when you write your character's backstory. It doesn't mean that you have to cover all of these things in the initial backstory. And in about one page you won't be able to.
Name: List full name and all aliases, as well as when, where, and why he uses them.
Appearance: List sex, height, weight, hair, eye, and skin coloration as well as any other coloration and distinguishing features, e.g. beard, scars, vertical instead of round pupils, hairstyle.
Personality: List the character’s personality, demeanor, idiosyncrasies, and quirks. List values, plans, and (long/short term) goals. Why does he have these values, plans, and goals? What motivates him to pursue them? What are his hopes, dreams, and fears? How does he spend his time? How would he really like to spend his time?
Attributes: List the character’s physical, social, mental, and spiritual attributes and abilities. What are his talents? What is he not so good at? Is he religious or does he believe in the supernatural? Which religion/philosophy/god does he follow and what tenets does he live by?
Limitations: List his physical, social, mental, and spiritual limitations. How far is he able to go? Is there something he is unable to do?
Training: List the character’s training and schooling. What kind of formal schooling has he gone through? How good was it? How far did he get? Does he have any degrees? What kind of jobs/professions has he had? When, where, and for who did he work? When, where, and by whom was he trained/taught?
Interests: What are his interests/hobbies? What is he known for?
Combat: What is his combat style like? What distinguishes it? Does it use certain stances, moves, attacks, and/or combinations? Is it more focused on attack or defense, or is there a balance? What weapons does he use (if any)? What is his favorite ranged and melee weapons? Does he prefer kicking, punching, grappling or some other type of unarmed combat?
Family: List family members. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, as well as spouse and children. Say something interesting/important about them. How close is the character to his family? Who raised him? If it wasn’t his parents, why was that individual/family/group chosen? How was he raised? What does his pedigree look like for the past four generations? What other relatives does he have?
Friends: Who are his friends? How close are they? What would he do for them? What does he believe they will do for him and why? List his current and former girlfriends, how/when/where they were together, how/where they go together, and how/when/where they broke up.
Acquaintances: Who are/were his teachers/instructors/coaches? Who are/were his coworkers? Who else does he know? Does he have any contacts? How did he get to know these people and why does he keep the relation alive? Did he know any PC/NPC from before? How? Why? Does he have any enemies/rivals? Who are they, what created this relation, and what are they willing to do to keep it that way? What would persuade them to end the relation? What is he willing to do to keep this relation alive and what is he doing? What would he give to end it?
Past: What interesting/important events have taken place in the character’s past? What consequences will his past have in the present? Where has he lived and when did he live there? What is his first memory? What is his most vivid memory?
Present: Where/how does he live? What does he do for a living?
Campaign: Why did he join the group? What are the group’s plans and goals?
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:57, Tue 03 Nov 2009.
