From my perspective: it depends on the kind of game you're running.
If you're running a pre-written module? Character backstory will probably have very little bearing on how the module plays out. It's flavor more than anything. Develop a personality, maybe a few characteristics to make the character fun, but don't put much more time than that into it.
If you're running a largely sandbox-y game, either based in a module or purely homebrew? Put a little more time into the backstory. Where are they from? What kind of past did they have? But don't try to pre-write every single detail. Leave enough open-ended so the DM can weave your character into the narrative and build connections to events, factions, places, people, and other characters in the campaign.
I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule. It’s going to depend on the player, and what is fun for them, coupled with what the DM wants/needs for the campaign.
Some people like writing 3,000 word backgrounds that start with what their grandparents served for holiday dinners. Some people are just Bob the fighter, here to roll some dice. Neither is right or wrong.
Some DM’s might want a lot of depth to give them side quest options, others might think lots of detail gets in the way.
I want my players to give what they are comfortable giving. I don't feel the need to restrict the amount of effort they want to put into their backstory, but I do like to get something from them if it is going to a campaign that lasts more than a handful of sessions.
I asked my players for at least 3-4 sentences and beyond that however much or little they want to write, but preferably less than one page. And I asked them to include one goal that their character has in their back story and even though I'm running a pre-written module (Ghosts of Saltmarsh), I'm tweaking it and weaving their goals into the tweaks. One of them gave me a great goal in his back story and I'm going to make his goal what the PC's accomplish while they're 6th level in order to earn 7th level since Saltmarsh doesn't have anything in the book for 6th level PC's.
It increases player engagement and it's making them drive the story a lot more than the module does.
I want as much as I can get my hands on. I tell my players that the more they give me, the more I can weave their past and their purpose into the plot of the campaign. If they tell me what their grandma served for holiday dinner, god dammit, I can use that! I want it all.
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Hey everyone! Thanks for your feedback on the first poll...hopefully this one is better!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
From my perspective: it depends on the kind of game you're running.
If you're running a pre-written module? Character backstory will probably have very little bearing on how the module plays out. It's flavor more than anything. Develop a personality, maybe a few characteristics to make the character fun, but don't put much more time than that into it.
If you're running a largely sandbox-y game, either based in a module or purely homebrew? Put a little more time into the backstory. Where are they from? What kind of past did they have? But don't try to pre-write every single detail. Leave enough open-ended so the DM can weave your character into the narrative and build connections to events, factions, places, people, and other characters in the campaign.
I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule. It’s going to depend on the player, and what is fun for them, coupled with what the DM wants/needs for the campaign.
Some people like writing 3,000 word backgrounds that start with what their grandparents served for holiday dinners. Some people are just Bob the fighter, here to roll some dice. Neither is right or wrong.
Some DM’s might want a lot of depth to give them side quest options, others might think lots of detail gets in the way.
I want my players to give what they are comfortable giving. I don't feel the need to restrict the amount of effort they want to put into their backstory, but I do like to get something from them if it is going to a campaign that lasts more than a handful of sessions.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I asked my players for at least 3-4 sentences and beyond that however much or little they want to write, but preferably less than one page. And I asked them to include one goal that their character has in their back story and even though I'm running a pre-written module (Ghosts of Saltmarsh), I'm tweaking it and weaving their goals into the tweaks. One of them gave me a great goal in his back story and I'm going to make his goal what the PC's accomplish while they're 6th level in order to earn 7th level since Saltmarsh doesn't have anything in the book for 6th level PC's.
It increases player engagement and it's making them drive the story a lot more than the module does.
Professional computer geek
I want as much as I can get my hands on. I tell my players that the more they give me, the more I can weave their past and their purpose into the plot of the campaign. If they tell me what their grandma served for holiday dinner, god dammit, I can use that! I want it all.