"I am a hobgoblin who grew up in a tribe of goblinoids. During my days as a young hobgoblin, I discovered my love of music and the, quite literal, magic that it could produce. However, my unique bardic nature got me shunned by many of the other members of my tribe, so I left now I'm out in the world trying to find a place among my new peers."

(Hobgoblin bard.)

I am a changeling who grew up in a tribe that wandered the multiverse before settling in one world. I entered the service of the Traveller and was devoted enough to become a cleric. I travelled away from my tribe due to a strange dream that I took to be an omen and now am wanted in over 3 kingdoms due to discovering that I am quite good at lying and stealing.

(Changeling Cleric)

Too easy. Haiku backstory, that's the thing:

Born of autumn cold

Sorcerer in flesh and blood

Flame to save the world

I have no idea if that is a legit haiku, it's just thought it would be funny =)

Even for a Drow, I was an odd child, made only odder following the murder of my family, when Titania offered me Her Pact and I accepted. Now I travel widely and do Her bidding. I rarely know where I'll wake up tomorrow.

(Drow Warlock, Pact of the Fey)

My tribe favoured hunting prowess over prowess with prose and gave me the name that showed my lack of hunting skills, claiming I shook my spear more than i fought with it. One Midsummers Night I dreamt of a Fey Queen who told me of a place called College and whsipered its secrets to me. Now I roam the world, reciting my stories to those that listen but adopted the name Wilhelm as those of Human and Elven nature seem to react better to that, my name is Wilhelm Shakes-his-spear.

*Lizardfolk Bard from the College of Whispers.

Shadows. The shadows have always been a second home to me, I move through them as easily as other people move through their bedrooms. When I set out to make my fortune, it was an obvious choice for me to make my living in the shadows that have always been both my armor and my succor.

I grew up in a tribe of Lizardfolk, dancing, singing and learning combat. However, I had one thing the other lizardfolk in my tribe did not: magic. I will chant, dance, and sing attack you with the wizardry of the bladesinging.

(Lizardfolk Wizard, the Bladesinging.)

I was a man on the run from a crime I didn’t commit, and took the first rout out of town I could as a deck wizard on a privateer vessel… pirates don’t tend to ask too many questions after all, and even a novice like me could be useful in a fight. When I wasn’t setting fire to merchant vessels for “fun and profit” I was learning everything I could about sailing, swordplay, or anything else anyone would teach me. Now, after a year I figure the heat must have died down and I can return to a life land with food that hasn’t been salted or cured, and something to drink other than grog… and these here “adventurers” promise to pay a bigger cut of the profits since it’s only a five way split with me aboard, so I’ll take the job.

"Your mother was sentenced to death by being burned alive. Accused of evil sorcery. In the end, she only told one other person of her unborn child and when the time was right she wanted you to know. She had a spell put in place to protect you from the fire and upon her death the city became wreathed in flames. After everyone fled or taken cover I ran to your mothers body and resting inside the remnants of a burned skeleton was you. Sura Fireborn."
…."then who was it  that had my mother convicted and killed?!"
…
…"…your father."

-female tiefling sorcerer-

I grew up crisscrossing the desert with my parents in their sailwagon, The Dunerunner, as they ran their merchant’s trade across the settlements of the southern wastes. The Dunerunner was a fine ship, sturdier than most, and faster than the meanest pirates, even when loaded down with goods, the sand spraying up into your face as she cut her way across the dunes. I hate sand, so now I aim to make my way somewhere else in the world, anywhere else, and I can use the skills I picked up fending off desert pirates to do it.

Raseri Meadsbane - Goliath Vengeance Paladin

Raised by a dwarf Paladin. Rescued from being a gladiator slave. Sent out to crush evil, and punish anyone taking advantage of the weak.

My father was an evil god over the rock golems.  My mother a sorceress of unknown ancestry.  I was left at a monastery orphanage and the monks' only goal is to be sure I do not become an unmaker of worlds. 

My name is Peter the cobbler. Um, I just saw the ad for an adventuring party. I thought it looked fun.

I shared a persona with two others like me, enjoying the simple life as a potion maker named Ser Easton.

A group of adventurers had come to our shop and demanded lower prices and when Ser Easton-with-a-well-trimmed-beard refused to haggle, the adventurers executed them, then killed Ser Easton-with-freckles as they attempted to intervene.

I was forced to abandon my persona and my family to survive, but I swear I will have my vengeance.

Changeling paladin - oath of vengeance.

I useta be a cow poke workin’ ranges out west, until one day my horse died and my dog ran away with my woman. S’now I’m lookin’ta make m’way in t’is here world as a “adventurer,” usin’ the skills I picked up on the ranches. I’ll outride, outwhip, outshoot, and throw down wit’ anyone come against us, so who’s hirin’?

I am what is called a phobophile, I love fear, espeicially in others. Causing fear and levels of fright in others comes easily to me, maybe too easily. I have grown bored of frightening those that live nearby and must set about challenging myself to cuase fear in larger and more intimidating creatures.

**Introducing Sir Richmond Pheare, probably the most complicated and least useful spellcaster a party could ever hope to have with them because he specialises with giving creature the Frightened condition or some version of it, no big flashy spell just spells and effects that mess with peoples minds and make them scared. Principle spells would be: Cause Fear, Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Phantasmal Force, Fear, Hallucinatory Terrain and Phantasmal Killer. Best option would be Wizard but a version of Cleric with the Arcana domain and an amended spell list could also work and having their God as Tergrid the God of Fright from Magic the Gathering.

"I am a metalworker. Not any ordinary metal worker though, I have powers to infuse objects with magical power, in addition to just being really good with objects. So know I've found a group of friends and am going to find out he keeps stealing my precious objects!"

(Any race, artificer.)

I used to run all the time, from bullies, from the neighbor’s dog, I even ran from a harmless cow once. When the cold lady came to my parents farm that day and asked me if I wanted to never have to run again, I jumped at the chance. Now I have powers, and others run from me.

"I know that once knew a terrible and powerful secret and that it destroyed me. I know that I was reduced to roaming the Shadowfell as a spirit until I found a rift to the land of the living and managed to possess the mortal form I now have. This form is a weak and fragile thing but I have learned if I exert myself I can do truly wonderous things with it."

**ok, probably one of my more outlandish and overly flavoured idea's, this character is an Allip (as in the CR5 undead) and has possessed a humanoid. The appearance can be anything you like be it elf, human, dwarf, dragonborn it doesn;t matter this is just a cosmetic thing because we;re going for Aarakocra (or preferably Owlin) for racial abilities to represent the Allip abilities, when we fly we have the humanoid start to give off wisps of smoke and shadow, if we use the natural claw attacks these will be blackened scythe -like claws that spontaneously appear and retract from our hands when we attack. Class wise its Barbarian where rages are not representing the character going into a frenzy but the Allip making the body slightly incorporeal (and hence resistant to damage), I'd probably go Totem Warrior and have the animal abilities represent some aspect of the undead nature but you might need to switch the ritual spells you gain through it to something more "shadowy" (probably Silence and Unseen Servant and eventaully Contact Other Plane), we're also goign to need to invest in Magic Intitiate to get Mage Hand, Viscious Mockery and Dissonant Whispers to represent the Allip Howling Babble/Whispers of Madness abilities. The last part is to role play a certain fear of Clerics and be affected by Turn Undead should it occur.

"I'm a Giff from The Rock of Bral. I grew up shooting stuff, but one day, my uncle came to me shortly after my fathers death, and told me that I had inherited pops ship. So here I am, in Astral Space, shooting stuff, flying ships, and adventuring."

(Giff gunslinger fighter.)