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Better Backstories (Extended) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-07-15 14:04:04
Imported:
2026-06
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Videos

Content

PDM speculates on how 8-page backstories became a thing in 5E and how to make a cool, better backstory that helps the DM. 


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Better Backstories (Extended) .mp4

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Comments

Ray Case

for people using their phone to view this and you get the vimeo "video can't be viewed" - my solution was to delete the vimeo app off of my phone - I haven't had a problem since

Chuck Thorin

Great vid! I've opted to use the ICRPG guidance. Your back story is one sentence. But I also pulled in another idea that overlaps. Each player comes up with three rumors. Of course, the DM gets to determine the veracity of those rumors and any extra details. And it's great for generating campaign ideas.

MrGunn

Great content, but I think you need some more B-Roll to fix the opening segue, it feels off. I think it would be better if it started with the joke about eight page back stories first, then segue into not being against them. Obviously just another opinion from an internet punter...advice exactly as good as what you paid for it :D Obviously, the eight page backstory goes against the grain of your grim-dark setting with characters who die frequently. A player who writes up an epic multi-page back story only to die in the first session will be miffed. I like and agree with a simpler back ground with bullet points usable as plot hooks by the DM. The player should let actual game play become their character's true backstory. I only have one thing to say about Harry Potty: V therrrrp, jog on! I love your 1940's actor voice, it is spot on! I chuckled.. DB be nice, he was 10! Keeping doing what you do PDM!

MrGunn

OMG, Unforgiven is one of the best Westerns ever. Best lines: Little Bill: "You shot an unarmed man!" Bill Munny: "Well, he should have armed himself..." ---- Will Munny : "It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have." The Schofield Kid : "Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming." Will Munny: "We all got it coming, kid." (truer words)

Smarting

My personal tip for working background stories are the Playbooks of "Beyond the Wall" and other games of Flatland. For example, Grizzled Adventures gives you in a few minutes an old and experienced adventurer, who has suffer losses, gained victories and will share with the other PCs rewards and rivalries.

Craig McKenzie

I read Red Harvest and just about everything from Dashiell Hammett, he is an excellent writer.

Garnett

i liked this video. It seems like there's a lot that can be said on this subject, especially as it pertains to player's attachment to their characters.

Graham Kane

I remember playing with edgelords back in the eighties. They were hard work then too! I love that you mentioned Fury Road as an example of good characters. The movie did'nt click with at first, but wow, it's such well put together movie. It should be required viewing for any screenwriter!

Carl Dettlinger

I have experienced this problem. I've only had one player write a backstory (explaining how powerful he was) but, when I ran games in my teens, everyone was the loner. Try getting a party to work together when everyone is a loner. I agree with your observations and love your video. Unfortunately, I must point out one mistake. My daughter loudly pointed out, as we were watching, that Percy Jackson's father is Poseidon, not Zeus. I'm afraid I won't hear the end of it if I don't tell you.

robert fransgaard

I really like this video. I don't think you need a tragedy / misery in your backstory. My own character is a terribly overconfident bard named Jean-Jacques La Cour, who speaks about himself in third person. JJ believes he has learned everything he can in terms of music from the material realm and is now looking to get to the Feywild to learn the otherworldly arts of fey music. That's it. No tragedy.

Clint Sharp

When I make a new character I typically write a backstory that's around a paragraph or two in length. It I find the character to be particularly interesting or fun to play then I'll write a more detailed one. I may never bring that story to the table but I enjoy the creative exercise.

MrGunn
>>87704542

Ugghhh, edgelords, neckbeards, stinky gamers, mom's basement trolls, nebbishes, and the reviled 'dick'! The reasons why I left gaming twenty years ago, too many broken people made gaming an embarrassment to be associated with. :D Mooom, I said, MORE HOT POCKETS! <8oD

Scott Spears

I come from the world of filmmaking and teaching screenwriting. For my students I give them a fill in the blank one page character backstory to fill out for their main character. Keep it simple. They can mine that backstory for ideas if they get stuck.

Flash Gorgon

Aragon being an archetype for a "reluctant hero" is one of the failings of the Jackson movies because this was certainly not how Tolkien devised him. It's truly a shame that more people have seen the movies rather than read the book. LOL, if they had, perhaps they'd have more interesting stories!

Justin Hughes

Level 0 character funnel with one "quirk/flaw". Boom, backstory done! You're all nobody with no notable enemies or friends, you'll make bonds on your journey and have a REAL connection with NPCs or character funnel characters that sit out an adventure or get kidnapped or whatever. The story should START at the same time you start playing. Like a movie or book, they never just have a character show up out of nowhere and say, this is the most important person in my life- OH NO! They've been kidnapped! We at least get to spend some time demonstrating/developing the connection.

Aaron Hayes

Where do you get these deliciously ugly miniatures?

samurguybri

One area that may have contributed to te big backstory phenomenon that you may be missing due to your gaming era/ age (don’t worry, I’m there too) was people playing online in forums/chats/Aol type situations. In this area backstories were very important and since these games were often GM-less, it gave other players hooks to do some extensive roleplay. Reading this article on the Six Cultures of play was very illuminating. It really opened a good discussion with me and my older friends some of the difference we see in players introduced to RPG’s in different times and methods. https://retiredadventurer.blogspot.com/2021/04/six-cultures-of-play.html

Daniel Defazio
>>87815550

You're going to love my upcoming video on "Hooks." We study the first 10 pages of the screenplay from Chinatown. Stay tuned!