Step 10: Your Story so Far

Now that you have almost all the components for your character put together, the last piece is to create a backstory. It could include future goals or dreams you wish to accomplish. This will help the game master to incorporate your character into the story (if that’s how they play). It can make your character have more of a purpose in the campaign than just being a simple adventurer who gave into their wanderlust.

Use the aspects you just created to develop your character and give them depth. Remember your traits, psychological profile, what culture they are from, and the training they endured when writing your backstory. The third page of the character sheet can help develop your character’s story. It gives you ideas and concepts as to the little things about your character’s past and favorite things in the world (i.e. favorite food and drink).

The Rich Don’t Adventure

When starting out as someone new to adventuring, you know little about survival outside of your home. You have not been adventuring previously in your life and you have little insight into what is required. Therefore, you would not start with large amounts of supplies and equipment.

You must earn the coin to improve on the little that you start with. This includes if your backstory is that of a noble birth or you came upon wealth early in your life. Somehow, you have had to lose or abandon your wealth. Otherwise, you are the rich character with all the fancy gear, while your teammates struggle. That’s not fair at all to them now it is?

Plus, if starting with a large amount of wealth is your thing, then you aren’t really adventuring, but more so traveling as a wealthy person seeing the world. Never earning your keep or earning the rewards for adventuring. What’s a better story, an adventurer who started with nothing and becomes famous for their journey; or a rich person who bought their way to fame? Never struggling as they paid to train in their skills and paid to have the finest equipment? It’s your story. How do you want to be known?

I think I know which story the bard will make jokes about and which he will tell epic tales of when surrounded by patrons in the tavern.