So one slightly frustrating thing I've come upon a few times is when players write characters with little to no backstory, or if they do have backstory, it doesn't include very many "knives"  (or potential hooks) for me to work with to either use against them or otherwise utilize to plan and build personalized character arcs for them.

(Note that I solely do homebrew everything so writing character arcs and backstory into my world and interweaving them with the main plot is critical for my style of DMing.)

I'm curious to learn how other DMs encourage or assist their players towards making more engaging and interesting PCs. What sort of background information do you require, if any? Do you have them fill out little surveys? (I've done this to mixed results.) How much world information do you feel the need to provide to help your players make more informed characters? How would you encourage a player to give you more hooks after submitting to you a sub-par or hookless backstory?

Do you specify that you want plot hooks in the backstory? I once had a DM who used to ask for three in each player's backstory, with the understanding that they may or may not all be used. But that bit of clear expectations really helped us all.

After that, I'd suggest giving them examples of what a plot hook is. Some people might write a backstory with what, to them looks like obvious plot hooks, and you just don't pick up on them, because to you them seem boring or not to have much potential. And keep in mind, that boring or lacking potential may be the best they can do; not everyone is a good storyteller. So you could do something like ask them to highlight what they see as the plot hooks in their story. Once you have them, do what you can. Sometimes, just a cameo appearance from a backstory character can be a fun way for a player to have the spotlight for a bit, even if it doesn't turn into a full-blown side quest.

And yes, I have used questionnaires in the past, and I really like them. Some players don't like backstories, either they just don't like writing, or they prefer to develop their character through play. (A lot of the times, those are the same players who don't necessarily expect or even want their characters to come o the front, some people are happier just being in a supporting role.) But most of them are willing to fill out a questionnaire. Mine was about a page long, never asked for more than a sentence or a couple bullet points, and did the trick.

But even then, I had people who didn't really like to fill out the form, and just wanted to show up and roll some dice. In those cases, I had a general rule: The more you give me in a backstory, the more I can give you in a story. So if you don't give me anything, I won't really be able to give you much of anything. Some people are very OK with that. It really comes down to different things being fun for different people, and not trying to force players to enjoy the game the way I do. 

Sometimes, when a player would see what happened in one campaign, they'd be more interested in doing it for the next campaign. Like, if I had a character with a Knight of the Order background, I'd ask that player to give me a write up of their order, and then I'd weave it into the world. So when the guy who didn't do a background saw how interesting it was for this player to have invented a large organization and then be able to interact with it, they were much more willing to write something up. They just needed an example of how to do it, and see what can happen with it.

As for what I give players at a campaign start, I usually write up a gazetteer, with a map of known regions. It will include broad-brush historical information that everyone would know. A bit about which religions are dominant and where. A bit about where, geographically, each of the races tend to live. Then I'd zero in on the place where the campaign will start, and give more detail about that area, and a bit more depth of the history. Basically the closer in terms of both time and place, to the start of the campaign, the more detail I'd give. It's also where I'd include any house rules if I was banning anything race or class-wise.

I rely on their Bonds, Loyalties, Ideals and Flaws on their char sheet.

If that doesn't exist,  I ask them three to six random questions about their character and roll with that. Of course,  when the player corrects me about what their character background actually is, I thank them for their correction and input and move on. If they don't give me anything,  I move on. Bottom line is that if the player doesn't have anything to contribute, I don't put too much effort into their story and focus on those that do contribute. 

As long as a player doesn't do one of a limited set of things I consider off-limits, I let players give me as much or as little backstory as they want. It is usually understood, but you can certainly make it explicit, that if you give a DM very little backstory and no hooks, there won't be a lot of "catering" your PC in adventures. Maybe the player doesn't want to be catered to like that -- I usually don't, for instance. Some people don't consider backstory to be a big deal *to them*, and they'd rather the first session be the start of their character's story, and work it forward, rather than being "in media res" from a longer backstory. I happen to be one of those, though if a DM specifically asked for more, I would try to provide a little something.

Now, in terms of what I do not allow, here is my shortlist:

• Background elements that conflict with the existing world/lore (that I have provided to the players)
• Background elements that are going to make this player's PC the "star of the show" over the other PCs.
• Background elements that conflict with the character's sheet stats (e.g., a lawful good character with a background that clearly shows them to be evil and lawbreaking).

As long as your background doesn't conflict with the world lore, or the character sheet stats, or make your PC clearly the "star" of the party, just about anything else is fair game. It can be as short or as long as you want. If it's too long or too involved, I'd probably ask you to cut it.

Personally, I am not a fan, as a DM, of making plot hooks about the characters' *backgrounds* except maybe in one of the opening adventures. Once the party has been played for a little while, I'd rather follow up on elements of the at-table RP, rather than stuff in the backstory. Stuff in the backstory is only about ONE character. Stuff in the RP is about the whole party, and in my experience is more enjoyable to the whole group than going off on tangents about just one character.

Oh boy oh boy, that's a pretty big question...

I used to only do HB way way back in the day, but frankly I gotta say that I don't think the system mattered so much. Writing characters is a big topic though that can go in a whole variety of directions; just ask all of those authors and novelists out there. You could break it down into as simple elements as narrative progression (i.e. what they intend to be the inciting incident, rising action, abyss, climax, resolution, etc.), or you could get REALLY particular about trying to survey them for things you know you might want to throw in their direction (i.e. gauging how they would react in various scenarios, asking for their feelings/opinions/biases on the world you've set for them, etc.). Personally, I find that both of those approaches are somewhat hamfisted though, and lately in my DMing I've been trying to stray away from it and big surveys (trust me when I say that players are very quick to get intimidated by big surveys; I've fallen into that rabbit hole too many times and made a fool of myself asking too many questions :P).

Friends and players of mine introduced me to a bunch of neat materials in the past year or so (I believe a title of one very useful book is the Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide) and if there are questions to prompt your players with so they answer more "efficiently," I would recommend these:

1) What do you want, need, and long for? A want is small and frivolous, while a need is maybe a personal goal or pursuit. What you long for though, is something you might not easily realize and will change your path through fate.
2) Describe a potent memory you have - this can be good or bad, simple or complex; just something that is vivid and something you can always recall.
3) Name two truthful rumors or secrets about yourself and one false one.
4) Who do you care for the most in the world and who do you care for the least? These can be singular people, groups, or entire populations. Why do you feel this way about them?

The core of what I find with a lot of these questions and writing in good character: good characters have good motives, and good motives tend to be fueled by some sort of powerful emotion. Try to get characters thinking about things in terms of the strongest emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, contempt, shock, disgust, etc. that you can. More often than not, your players may attach some of their own emotions into these concepts, and that means that you have some easy ins to work with that you know will evoke good reactions in them. I often like to think of TTRPG as a means of catering specific narratives to evoke specific experiences to specific audiences, and sometimes I think that warrants getting to know your players a bit better as well. Find out what digs deep for them and then push on it with everything that you can muster on your side as a DM. Some of these questions are just disguised methods of understanding what sort of things you can do to make an impression on them without them really seeing it coming from a mile away.

I know that your original question was more about how to get your players to write good plot hooks, but keep in mind: they might not know the grand plan you've got staged behind the DM screen. Sometimes it can be hard to guide them towards a good plot hook when they aren't really sure where they can sink their teeth in the first place. The best thing that you can do though is try to appeal to the aspects of their character that most appeal to the story you're telling, and to build on top of it. The phrases "yes and" and "what if" have been LIFESAVERS in my creative processes, and have left me with abundant connections and ties between my players and my campaign setting.

Hopefully this helps, but do keep in mind that this is such a broad topic and there's really no right answer. Everybody has their methods on how to develop story and interaction, and different things work for different people. I highly recommend that you go peek through the front dozen pages or so of the DMG to get some insight as well about how to get your players invested and involved and how to make something worthy of their investment (and your own!). It's really a craft, so I wish you the best in honing it! : ) 

I'm probably repeating someone but, I saw too many huge walls of text for what I consider a simple question. Let your players know that you support a detailed backstory and to run some ideas by you for them. 

Quote from Wtfdndad >>

I'm probably repeating someone but, I saw too many huge walls of text for what I consider a simple question. Let your players know that you support a detailed backstory and to run some ideas by you for them. 

I basically agree with this, and want to emphasize the word support. It's great to support a detailed backstory. I would not require it of a player who doesn't want to write one.

You could always try giving them some prompts if they are struggling. For example, when I write a character backstory I focus on the following: 

• Who are my parents / family 
• Who am I close to? This is a good question to ask people if they go down the 'I'm an orphan my entire family is dead route'. Yes, but who else have you met on your travels? etc. Also, as well as bonds, do you have any rivals or enemies? 
• How was life growing up? Working etc. This usually ties into your background and social status. 
• What were you doing before you left to adventure? 
• Why did you leave to adventure? What motivates you? Even with a stable and loving family life you can find a good reason to leave. 

If people answer those you should be able to get some good plot hooks. 

I'm of the mind that backstory need not include plot hooks unless the player really wants it to. There's definitely something to be said for "blank slate" characters that are explored and developed during the adventure. If your players are satisfied with that style of play then I wouldn't push plot hooks. It's actually a good thing if they're satisfied with the adventure they're playing without needing something extra to tie them in, because that means they're engaging with your content and your world through their characters rather than the other way around. 

Do you specify that you want plot hooks in the backstory? I once had a DM who used to ask for three in each player's backstory, with the understanding that they may or may not all be used. But that bit of clear expectations really helped us all.

Sure do! And pretty much all my players are eager to give me some. All my regulars thoroughly enjoy having their backstories involved in the story of the game and tied into the main narrative and plot, and most give me plenty to work with.

Late disclaimer: This thread is more about sharing ideas than "I'm having a problem and I need help with it."

At my table we call them "knives" - specific little (or large) details that I can twist and put pressure on in order to elicit a reaction from that character. Some examples plucked right from my own campaigns' PCs include: "My mother died as a result of some weird magic and I tried to revive her with a necromantic ritual, but failed, and unwittingly released something else instead," "One of my lovers with whom I have a child was banished by a group of zealous religious members back to the nine hells simply because he was a fiend," and "I was a succubus with a mission that went sourly and led to me abandoning my job to try to live a mortal life."

Don't misunderstand me - I think those three examples are absolutely fantastic and can make wonderful single-sentence backstories in and of themselves, and give me a ton to work with! But I really appreciate - and my regular players really enjoy - having fully-fleshed out backstories that are set in my world and actually feel like they're apart of it, which is something that I feel is important in a homebrew setting (which some past players have had a difficult time investing in because they didn't try to do this).

As I approach developing my next two campaigns (one of which is a PbtA City of Mist game instead of D&D 5e), I'm just curious to learn what techniques others use that I might incorporate into my current SOP.

You could always try giving them some prompts if they are struggling. For example, when I write a character backstory I focus on the following: 

• Who are my parents / family 
• Who am I close to? This is a good question to ask people if they go down the 'I'm an orphan my entire family is dead route'. Yes, but who else have you met on your travels? etc. Also, as well as bonds, do you have any rivals or enemies? 
• How was life growing up? Working etc. This usually ties into your background and social status. 
• What were you doing before you left to adventure? 
• Why did you leave to adventure? What motivates you? Even with a stable and loving family life you can find a good reason to leave. 

If people answer those you should be able to get some good plot hooks. 

Absolutely, and those are basically the minimum questions I require to be answered in a character's backstory. The biggest and most pressing one is the last of those, in my opinion, because it directly corresponds to the character's motives, which are critical to understand if I'm to know how to keep the PC invested in the story and in the party insofar as is my responsibility (as some of that responsibility does, too, lie on the player).

Quote from CharlesThePlant >>

I'm of the mind that backstory need not include plot hooks unless the player really wants it to. There's definitely something to be said for "blank slate" characters that are explored and developed during the adventure. If your players are satisfied with that style of play then I wouldn't push plot hooks. It's actually a good thing if they're satisfied with the adventure they're playing without needing something extra to tie them in, because that means they're engaging with your content and your world through their characters rather than the other way around. 

I honestly disagree with this in part. No one exists or comes out of a bubble (with very rare exception), even if they have amnesia. They come from somewhere, they were raised by someone, they had a past, and those things are going to influence that character's characterization. In one of my campaigns, I even have a PC to whom those statements are all actually false - a concubus forged in the Nine Hells - and she still has a really good backstory with plenty of space for hooks that I can draw on.

I find that "blank slate" characters tend to become more chaotic and unpredictable, and not in good ways for the game.

That said, if a player can be invested in a world without having anything to tie them in - more power to them. I personally find that impossible, myself, both as a player and as a DM.

Quote from Kazarts >>

 

The core of what I find with a lot of these questions and writing in good character: good characters have good motives, and good motives tend to be fueled by some sort of powerful emotion.

Agreed 100%. I find that the more fleshed-out a backstory is (which does not mean paragraphs or pages of writing, simply understanding the backstory clearly), the more readily a player will understand where their character is coming from, their goals, and what drives them. This enables a player to make more in-character choices that makes sense to their character, in my experience.

These days I try to ask my players for two motives for their characters: their immediate goal, and their goal for traveling with a party. This gives them something to actively work towards personally, as well as a lasting reason to stick with the party once their immediate goal has seen its completion. One problem I've encountered from one of my players is that their characters tend to have a pressing immediate goal, but no real motive to stick with the party once that goal is completed except maybe "to save the world" (or whatever the main story plot hook is); and in some cases, their characters' immediate goal fulfillment might actually give them a reason to abandon the party ("I've saved my family and want to spend the rest of my days with them now.") Which is... okay, just not ideal, because by that deep in the plot it's not the easiest thing to integrate a new PC if they want to swap at that point. I'm pretty good at BSing things, so I always manage to make it work, but it can really interrupt the story's flow to pause progress towards the BBEG/endgame goal to incorporate a new member that now has to build trust with the team from scratch and changes the team dynamics.

Quote from gamsii >>

Quote from CharlesThePlant >>

I'm of the mind that backstory need not include plot hooks unless the player really wants it to. There's definitely something to be said for "blank slate" characters that are explored and developed during the adventure. If your players are satisfied with that style of play then I wouldn't push plot hooks. It's actually a good thing if they're satisfied with the adventure they're playing without needing something extra to tie them in, because that means they're engaging with your content and your world through their characters rather than the other way around. 

 

I honestly disagree with this in part. No one exists or comes out of a bubble (with very rare exception), even if they have amnesia. They come from somewhere, they were raised by someone, they had a past, and those things are going to influence that character's characterization. In one of my campaigns, I even have a PC to whom those statements are all actually false - a concubus forged in the Nine Hells - and she still has a really good backstory with plenty of space for hooks that I can draw on.

I find that "blank slate" characters tend to become more chaotic and unpredictable, and not in good ways for the game.

That said, if a player can be invested in a world without having anything to tie them in - more power to them. I personally find that impossible, myself, both as a player and as a DM.

 By "blank slate", I don't mean that they come from nowhere and have no past. Merely that whatever is behind them is not more exciting than what is in front of them. 

You see a lot where people get carried away writing backstory where their level 1 character is an expert arena combatant who was betrayed by the king himself and rescued from prison by literal divine intervention and now has an angel ally and...etc. Like, no, if we're talking a level 1 character, you're mostly talking about someone who was a farmer or a coal miner like a week ago, who hasn't gone on all these fantastic adventures yet because that's what the game is for. 

The characters should definitely still have backstories, and you can definitely still include them in the game, but this style of play it would be used more for roleplay purposes rather than mining your character's backstory for plot hooks. Plot hooks and romance and betrayal are all cool things that can happen in game that characters can experience in real time, is all I mean. 

Matt Coville has a video on this explaining it probably better than I have: https://youtu.be/V2OiQ5ruiGE

Quote from gamsii >>

Quote from Kazarts >>

 

The core of what I find with a lot of these questions and writing in good character: good characters have good motives, and good motives tend to be fueled by some sort of powerful emotion.

 

Agreed 100%. I find that the more fleshed-out a backstory is (which does not mean paragraphs or pages of writing, simply understanding the backstory clearly), the more readily a player will understand where their character is coming from, their goals, and what drives them. This enables a player to make more in-character choices that makes sense to their character, in my experience.

These days I try to ask my players for two motives for their characters: their immediate goal, and their goal for traveling with a party. This gives them something to actively work towards personally, as well as a lasting reason to stick with the party once their immediate goal has seen its completion. One problem I've encountered from one of my players is that their characters tend to have a pressing immediate goal, but no real motive to stick with the party once that goal is completed except maybe "to save the world" (or whatever the main story plot hook is); and in some cases, their characters' immediate goal fulfillment might actually give them a reason to abandon the party ("I've saved my family and want to spend the rest of my days with them now.") Which is... okay, just not ideal, because by that deep in the plot it's not the easiest thing to integrate a new PC if they want to swap at that point. I'm pretty good at BSing things, so I always manage to make it work, but it can really interrupt the story's flow to pause progress towards the BBEG/endgame goal to incorporate a new member that now has to build trust with the team from scratch and changes the team dynamics.

 Ahhh yeah, that's tricky; sometimes, people tend to write characters in a way that they could easily be retired. Which, to be fair, isn't necessarily wrong; sometimes, people might want that so that they can feel fulfilled in their characters' personal arcs so that they can close them off and introduce somebody of a bit higher caliber for adventuring. Frankly, in my last campaign, one of my newer players had a hard time gauging what he wanted for his character (a class change, a backstory change, a plot hook change, etc.) and in the end he felt like his character was waaaaaaaaay in over his head. He felt that he was just some neighborhood Spiderman being dragged into a world-ending conflict, and he felt like he was obligated to stay with the party just because they helped him with his personal problems. Being able to work out a clear sense of a character's goals and motives is super important to make sure that they can remain engaged throughout the entirety of a campaign. The reason I ask for wants, needs, and longings is because it covers things that the PC knows is important to them short term, long term, and future tense. It helps to give a sense not just of where they think they want to be by the end of the campaign, but also creates room for them to explore their characters and identities in as well.

"At my table we call them "knives" - specific little (or large) details that I can twist and put pressure on in order to elicit a reaction from that character."

I honestly wouldn't enjoy a game where the DM thought about backstories as a way to use "knives" against player characters.  I don't consider it fun to be punished, thanks all the same.

So how do I got about helping (not making) my players develop better characters?  I like a short backstory, maybe two paragraphs.  I don't insist on it, I just ask.  I pick out a detail, and I ask them if they would like me to base a sub-plot around it.  I warn them, it may not come up for a while, and everyone else will get a turn after theirs comes up before I do that again.

Then I take on what I believe to be the best way to be a DM.  I remain impartial as much as I can be.  I let the players and the dice tell the story will as little input from me as possible.  I run all the things they interact with, interpret` the rules, and hopefully, we will all have fun.

Some players just aren't really into it, and I'm fine with that. Or maybe they like to explore who their character is in the moment rather than painting themselves into a personality corner before the game has even started. Perhaps that tends to make them feel chaotic, but chaos a huge chunk of the alignment table for a reason - life is often chaotic. For me, bringing in backstory hooks feels like me as the DM trying to sell that player's story to the party. If that player's backstory is not that interesting or applicable, it doesn't need to take up space in our game.

Backstory hooks can be nice, but in their absence you can always use hooks from previous adventures/encountered NPCs etc. I like these better anyway because the whole party is in on it and it reinforces the memories you have collectively made throughout the campaign.

Quote from DennisThePeasant >>

this is another example of the Mercer effect striking again

If only Critical Role hadn't invented role-playing, D&D would be so much better.

Quote from gamsii >>

No one exists or comes out of a bubble (with very rare exception), even if they have amnesia. They come from somewhere, they were raised by someone, they had a past, and those things are going to influence that character's characterization.

 

Of course not. But there is nothing inherently wrong with not having most of the information written down or figured out when you start playing the character, and instead figuring it out as you play. Sometimes it takes interacting with other party members and NPCs to spark ideas and inspire you. 

If you're trying to build 'personalized subplots', you can focus on what the player finds interesting about playing the character, rather than trying to pick one specific detail out of their backstory to expand upon.

If the ranger likes animals more than people, have them stumble upon a poaching ring. If the wizard is a history buff, have the next dungeon contain hints that maybe the Official Story of how the kingdom was founded isn't entirely accurate. If the barbarian is just there to smash the opposition, drops clues to the location of a legendary weapon that only allows itself to be wielded by the biggest badass in each generation. Backstory is only one way to tailor a quest or subplot to a specific character.