Bringing Your Hero to Life

Creating a character backstory for your Dungeons & Dragons campaign is more than just listing dates and events. It's about breathing life into the hero or anti-hero you'll embody for countless adventures.

A well-crafted backstory can enhance your gameplay experience and provide your Dungeon Master (DM) with rich material to weave into the campaign. Your DM will thank you for giving you a way to get your character invested in the game, and for you the game will be all the richer and more engaging; it will feel like it was made specifically for you because, in a way, it was. Here's how to craft an epic character backstory that will captivate your fellow players and add depth to your adventures.

Embrace Your Character's Flaws

No one is perfect, and neither should your character be. Flaws are the cracks in a character's armor that make them relatable and intriguing. Whether it's something as simple as a fear of spiders, a tendency to overreact, a death-wish, a mistrust of strangers or anything else, imperfections grant your character room to grow and evolve. The best character stories have arcs, mistakes or weaknesses in the beginning are learned from and overcome as the character becomes their better selves. Alternatively, in a tragedy the character may succumb to their flaws and walk a dark path because of them. Regardless, this makes for interesting, compelling storytelling.

Consider the following when integrating flaws:

• Complexity: Flaws add layers to your character's personality. A paladin with a fear of failure might struggle with leadership, while a rogue with trust issues could face challenges in teamwork.
• Story Hooks: Flaws serve as excellent plot hooks for your DM. They create opportunities for personal growth and can lead to compelling storylines.
• Relatability: Players and DMs alike connect with characters who have genuine vulnerabilities. A character's journey to overcome their flaws can be as rewarding as any treasure hunt.
• The "Why: Why does your character have their flaw? Do they mistrust strangers because they have been taken advantage of? Do they fear spiders because their cruel father used to lock them in a box full of spiders as punishment? Do they have a death wish because they have outlived their warrior brethren and long to see them again in Ysgard (see Ragnar White Eye, character profile in a separate blog post).

An important thing to consider, however, is try not to give your character a flaw that makes the game more difficult. A mistrust of strangers, however, would be very bad if it means that rather than joining their party and going on the adventure the DM has planned, they are instead wary and "prefer to work alone"... this will make it very hard to integrate them into the game, and your DM already has enough work on their plate.

What Does Your Character Want?

Understanding your character's desires is crucial to shaping their motivations and decisions. These wants can be tangible, like acquiring wealth or avenging a fallen comrade, or intangible, such as seeking acceptance or freedom.

To define your character's wants:

• Identify Goals: What drives your character forward? Perhaps they seek a lost artifact, or aim to restore their family's honor.
• Create Tension: Desires often conflict with reality, providing dramatic tension. A character who desires peace might find themselves embroiled in conflict.
• Align with Campaign: It can be helpful for your character's wants to align with the overarching campaign. If your DM is running a mystery, a character with a thirst for knowledge fits naturally. While the DM may not tell you exactly what kind of game they will be running, they may still be open to giving you ideas for the types of wants your character might have.

What Does Your Character Need?

I've heard it said that while your character's wants and needs should be different, and defining a want is important, the need should be left undefined as this is something that should emerge over the course of the campaign. I do like that advice as it leans more into the idea that Dungeons and Dragons is a game of collaborative storytelling - if you have defined your entire character arc before you've even played a single game, that doesn't strike me as particularly collaborative. In any case, while your character's wants will define what they are actively seeking, particularly as the game begins, their needs will pertain to their personal growth or fulfillment. You may like to discuss your character's true needs with the DM (there is nothing wrong with agreeing in a direction that you'd both like the character to go and then allowing that to play out over the course of a campaign), or alternatively you may like to keep this fully undefined and allow it to emerge naturally throughout the game.

Consider the following:

• Character Arc: Needs drive a character’s arc. A character might want power but need companionship, leading to transformative moments.
• Conflict Resolution: Understanding needs can help resolve internal conflicts. A character who needs forgiveness may find peace by facing past misdeeds.
• DM's Role: By sharing your character's needs with your DM, they can craft scenarios that challenge and satisfy these deeper desires. For example, Ragnar White-Eye, who I mentioned earlier wants to die in glorious battle to join his brothers in Ysgard, might actually need to find a new "family" which they feel connected to, and realize that fulfilment doesn't come from a good death, but from a good life. Sometimes, these needs may not be known to the character - even if you, their player, do - and it may take them an entire campaign to learn.

Resist the Urge to Write a Fully Resolved Story

While it's tempting to map out every detail of your character's past, leaving plot threads dangling creates opportunities for your DM to incorporate dynamic storytelling into the game. A backstory with unresolved elements invites collaboration and engagement with your DM and fellow players.

Keep in mind:

• Open-Ended Elements: Leave room for your character to discover new truths. Perhaps their mentor disappeared under mysterious circumstances, or a family heirloom holds secrets yet to be revealed.
• Collaborative Storytelling: Unresolved plot threads enable your DM to tailor the campaign to your character's journey, fostering a more immersive experience.
• Flexibility: An unfinished backstory allows your character to adapt and grow with the campaign's progression.

Provide a Reason to Engage with the Campaign

Your DM will be grateful to you, if participating in the campaign is in your character's interest, or if you give them an easy way to make them interested. Establishing a clear connection to the campaign's themes and events ensures your character's involvement feels organic and meaningful.

Consider the following strategies:

• Shared Goals: Align your character's objectives with the party’s mission. If the campaign revolves around defeating a great evil, your character might have a personal vendetta against the antagonist.
• Personal Stakes: Give your character personal reasons to care about the campaign's outcome. A character whose hometown is threatened has a vested interest in its protection.
• Party Dynamics: Reflect on your character's relationships with party members. Bonds or rivalries can drive your character's involvement and investment in the group's success.

If all else fails, communicate

D&D is a collaborative storytelling experience, there's nothing at all wrong with going to your DM and saying "I'd like to create a backstory which ties in to the game, are there any story hooks or things that might be good for me to work with?" The DM can give you something to work with, with just enough information for you to create your backstory, and not too much to give away their game.

Also, run your backstory by your DM to get their seal of approval. They may be able to suggest minor tweaks to make it fit better with the game, or they may want to veto something... for example "no, your character is not the crown prince of the realm and doesn't have limitless money, lackeys and resources at their disposal."