This is my first time ever running a dnd campaign. I watched all campaigns of critical role, i read a ton about the game, PHB, DMG, Tasha's stuff, almost everything. I feel like i got the rules part of the game figured out but i can't really come up with stuff for my PC's characters. I mean i have some vague ideas for their ark but i'm curious what other DMs would think of with these backstories and what i could do with them because i really would like everyone at the table to have special player moments. (They are new to dnd and being players so they're not too detailed) Any and all feedback or criticism is appreciated.
1.: Dragonborn Fighter:This person told me that he would like to appear human to everyone else. First he said that his family made a pact with a powerful being to change their bloodline's appearance because of the whole spellplague thing and how dragonborns are not really accepted everywhere, but i didn't really want the racism part since my version of faerun is not that racist, so we settled on "their bloodline being cursed by a wizard way back or something".
2.: Wood Elf Rogue: This was a tough one because almost every part of her story is made up by me. She couldn't really think of anything so i just said some things and she was like "Ok". I suggested a typical rogue story. Noble family, parents and sister murdered by bandits when she was 10. Only thing left from her father was a curved blade. She was taken in by a cute halfling family and she had a friend whose dad was an assasin. One day she found a head in their basement and asked them if they could help get revenge on their family. They showed her how to steal and kill, and made an assasin out of her. (I really have no idea for this one other than her somehow figuring out who killed her family and killing them)
3.: Wood Elf Druid:This person didn't really have a backstory for the first session but she now sent me that she wants to be a healer on the edge of the city of Neverwinter in a little wooden cabin. She wants her life's work to be studying different kinds of creatures. She said she just wants to - as her character - write down everything that a creature does, weak against, resistant against, and use that when they next encounter that type. (really have no idea for this one either)
4.: Dwarf Fighter:This guy literally wanted to be Thorin Oakenshield from lotr. Which again i have no idea how to handle because its not in this world but thats what he wanted so i went with it. I still don't know what to do about that. (Had some ideas that he is a drunk hobo and dreams of vast dwarven empires and a king named Thorin and he thinks its him)
5.: Dragonborn Ranger: Okay this is my gf's little sister's character. At the start she was like "So my character can fly and she is a dragon and she can breathe fire which instantly kills everything" But we're past that now and settled on her being an assasin too (like her sister) and she knows the neverwinter woods like the palm of her hand. (she also wanted "boom arrows" as a starting equipment on level 1 but i think i managed to tell her why she can't just be an amazing awesome killer machine right out the gate, im not sure)
Again, and and all feedback is appreciated as i can't really come up with anything for most of these characters.
I would start with asking yourself, what do the players want to get out of what I think is their first RPG. At a session 0 I would ask. "OK Who wants to fight a bunch of stuff? (Show of hands), Who wants to get treasure? Who wants to explore the world of Faerun? Who wants to learn more about the people (characters) at this table?" Asking questions like this helps set expectations and gives you some guidance for how to proceed. For instance, if no one wants to learn more about the people at the table just send them on a "hot start" dungeon crawl and don't bother with backstory. Now assuming everyone at the table wants to 1) Have Fun 2) Go on an Adventure, I would use the backstories as entry points rather than a means to generate a special moment (ala Critical Role). For example, I would (shamelessly steal from The Hobbit) and start with an NPC wizard who needs to recover a lost artifact held in the ruins of a lost dwarven fortress (Enter Character 4). Now character 4 can't do this on his own, he'll need a guide (Character 5) a burgler (Character 2) some extra muscle (Character 1) and someone to keep everyone in one piece (Character 2). Maybe the wizard has tea regularly with character 3, got lost in the woods once and found by character 5, can see the dragonborn heart beating in character 1's chest, was the target of a burglary by character 2 and somehow just mysteriously knows that character 4 is the last of a nearly dead noble dwarven bloodline. Do a little mini adventure/RP with the NPC and each character individually, that show cases the talents of each character. As you design encounters keep your characters talents in mind and play to those. For instance, make sure the Ranger's favored enemies show up and that there is enough combat to justify 2 fighters in the party as well as a few sneaky bits for the rogue. If you do these things I think each player will feel engaged and special.
I'm a little worried about character (and player) 2. Make sure to ask what they want to experience and get out of game. Importantly, a light backstory is totally fine for new players, show case their class features and use a little NPC RP to make them feel special.
Also since you mentioned CR, thats probably not the best example to follow right out of gate for a new DM and group. I'm a critter and I love the show too, but the dedication and professionalism that the CR team brings to the table can create a somewhat unrealistic expectation of how a more informal game will be played. A better example would be Force Grey:Lost City of Omu (on youTube). Mercer is also the DM here and does a great job of keeping a game moving forward and engaging with a less "theatrical" style of play.
The session 0 ship has sailed unfortunately, it would've been so much better like this though. We are doing LMOP by the way with some tweaks here and there and we're past the second session now. So i was thinking more like, figuring out stuff from their backgrounds to come up later. Like character 1 could just ever so faintly grow scales for a minute when he gets angry, (or when he decides to use his breath weapon). Character 2 i thought could have the redbrands as the bandits who killed their family. That's about everything i have come up with so far. But yeah, i was just thinking little things like that. Or maybe big idk. I also got the idea that Thorin could meet with Gandalf humming misty mountains when they are done with the campaign and when he goes up to him saying "wake up child" (or something) and then he goes back to erebor so he realizes he didn't just imagine it.
And i know critrole isn't really good material for a DM because nobody beats Mercer, and so i'm not trying that but trying to make my own style up as we go.
So first of all I will say give yourself, your players, and your characters a bit of grace. With everyone being mostly new players and you being a new DM there is going to be a lot of learning and adjusting of rules and stories.
As for backstories, I will run down what I think, but ultimately these are your players dreams, so do what you can to help accommodate as much as you can.
1. Dragonborn who appears human is a tough one, I LOVE your call on making it an ancestral curse. I will say in much of D&D lore, there are dragons who can shapeshift into humanoid creatures, so you could always give them that power, but that could be too powerful in the more creative players... so the ancestral wizard's curse is a safe bet that doesn't op any one PC. Special moment - comes across a magical grove that reveals his true form (build a quest to make it permanent if he wants to)
2. You don't have to have their backstory fleshed out. This could be something where as they become more comfortable with role playing they have ideas that come up. One thing I've implemented in past games is the "I know a guy" rule... (I'll explain this one below) ultimately I wouldn't worry too much about her, as a rogue they tend to play close to the chest and also keep their own stories a secret, so let her build as she goes. Special moment - Halfling family's dad was actually the secret leader of the bandit group and was the one who murdered her father. WHAT!?!
3. Another good one where people don't have to have a full backstory to be engaged in the game. Ultimately it sounds like she's trying to meta-game without actually meta-gaming... I actually applaud her use of character to explain her meta-gaming. Special moment - She's actually the older-sister of #2 and blocked out her memories as a child because she watched her dad get murdered. Reveal her past to her little bit at a time in dreams or visions (since they only meditate for 4 hours).
4. I had a player once write her entire character up as Frodo Baggins... so I know how this is. Play on it. He is the long lost heir of a fallen dwarven kingdom... just don't send a wizard to show him a map and a key and tell him there's a dragon that he needs to kill. Let the player use this character idea to guide whatever choices he needs to make, but don't give him the same quests to do them in. Special moment - literally ANYTHING, send an assassin to finish off his family name, send a letter of noble birth that includes a debt that needs to be paid, have him tie into someone else's story...
5. This one is fun.... younger kids can genuinely remind you why you run and play the game. Let her have 2 boom arrows. even as a lvl 1 starting character, she'll either use them and they're gone on a couple of goblins, or she'll save them for when they'll count and it'll be an epic story. If you missed giving them as a starting tool, let her find them early in the next session. Make it a good story as to why they're where she found them and then let her have fun. Special moment - boom arrows.... lets face it, sounds like she's gonna make her own special moment with these.
I know a guy rule - so the I know a guy rule is where at the beginning of every session I give every player an "IKAG" token. This allows them to literally use a story element of their character knowing someone from their past that can give them special knowledge or possibly even a skill of some sort. They only get one, there is no take backs and as DM I have to approve of it... but if it's a good enough story, well thought out, and ultimately doesn't break the game, it's theirs.
Rule of two - ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make players create a bond with another player when they're creating their characters for a long campaign. This way they have a reason to stick around and ultimately they lean on at least one other player. No one is a lone wolf in an adventure game. If you want that, go play Skyrim by yourself. (There are some exceptions to this, but this always makes keeping players engaged easier.)
One last thing is about rules. As I mentioned earlier, give yourself and everyone else grace at a new table. I share this small excerpt from my "what to expect when playing" sheet I hand out at the beginning of every session: "...it’s the DM’s table. While the rules are written out, they span across a multitude of books and oftentimes interpreted differently by the individuals reading them. Therefore, when a rule discrepancy arises, because it will, the DM will make the call for THAT moment in THAT session. If there are questions or concerns about how it is to play out in the future, let’s discuss it in the rules-chat channel on Discord."
Whoa whoa whoa hang on a minute, you are putting the cart before the horse here.
As a brand new DM and group of players, “Backstories” (which have zero mechanical impact on the game) are the least of your concerns.
Your focus should be combat, and dungeon creation. Learn the monsters, learn to fight tactically with them, and learn how to make, present, and run dungeons for your players.
They in turn need to focus on leaning character mechanics, and being effective in combat themselves. Make sure you guys enjoy the game’s main course before the dessert of backstories and “special moments” and whatnot.
I kind of agree with SireSamuel. You can do the elaborate backstory tie-in thing if you and your players want, but you also can create extremely memorable and satisfying character moments without backstory at all.
A character's backstory just helps a player come up with context for personality. The choices that player makes in the campaign, however, is where the good stuff happens. Here's examples from games I've been in:
- Our City Watch paladin was falsely accused of theft and conspiracy and kicked out of his hometown. The player decided to let his paladin get very bitter over that, and it turned into an arc in which an evil god started luring him to the darkside as his moral compass began to slip. The party had to help him figure out where his dark powers were coming from and snap him out of his violent moods. All while trying to, you know, save the world and stuff.
- Our warlock found some cursed magic items and didn't tell anyone they were preventing him from sleeping. It became a race against time to find a cleric to cure him before he died from exhaustion.
- My druid was cripplingly shy and had no self-confidence. An NPC ally forced her to undergo a trial of worth in order to secure safe passage for the rest of the party. She didn't do well, but instead of giving up when she failed, she tried to prove herself on her own for the sake of her friends. She ended up passing the second time and gaining some confidence in her skills.
- I offered two of my players the opportunity to willingly contract lycanthropy from an NPC. One character is an evil-aligned cleric of the werewolf god, so it was a no-brainer for him. The other didn't want to become a killer and only agreed after the NPC assured her that she would have total control over the transformation. The NPC lied. So now the two have to reconcile each other's attitudes toward the curse and how to work together in spite of it.
To me, character moments and arcs are more meaningful if they stem from choices players actively make, rather than hooks involving things that happened before the campaign started. Can you have a powerful backstory arc? Absolutely. My point is simply that it isn't the only way to spotlight characters.
Whoa whoa whoa hang on a minute, you are putting the cart before the horse here.
As a brand new DM and group of players, “Backstories” (which have zero mechanical impact on the game) are the least of your concerns.
Your focus should be combat, and dungeon creation. Learn the monsters, learn to fight tactically with them, and learn how to make, present, and run dungeons for your players.
They in turn need to focus on leaning character mechanics, and being effective in combat themselves. Make sure you guys enjoy the game’s main course before the dessert of backstories and “special moments” and whatnot.
I guess I was thinking less of "New DM" and more of "What else can I do to keep this engaging" But yes, this is very true...
I'll try to focus on the things you said. I just really wanted to give them an immersive experience though i see your point that it's not that important when we're not even that familiar with the basic stuff. I'll just stick with vague ideas then and if they do something that leads to those ideas coming into the game i'll try to implement it but otherwise i won't focus on them much until then.
I kind of agree with SireSamuel. You can do the elaborate backstory tie-in thing if you and your players want, but you also can create extremely memorable and satisfying character moments without backstory at all.
A character's backstory just helps a player come up with context for personality. The choices that player makes in the campaign, however, is where the good stuff happens. Here's examples from games I've been in:
- Our City Watch paladin was falsely accused of theft and conspiracy and kicked out of his hometown. The player decided to let his paladin get very bitter over that, and it turned into an arc in which an evil god started luring him to the darkside as his moral compass began to slip. The party had to help him figure out where his dark powers were coming from and snap him out of his violent moods. All while trying to, you know, save the world and stuff.
- Our warlock found some cursed magic items and didn't tell anyone they were preventing him from sleeping. It became a race against time to find a cleric to cure him before he died from exhaustion.
- My druid was cripplingly shy and had no self-confidence. An NPC ally forced her to undergo a trial of worth in order to secure safe passage for the rest of the party. She didn't do well, but instead of giving up when she failed, she tried to prove herself on her own for the sake of her friends. She ended up passing the second time and gaining some confidence in her skills.
- I offered two of my players the opportunity to willingly contract lycanthropy from an NPC. One character is an evil-aligned cleric of the werewolf god, so it was a no-brainer for him. The other didn't want to become a killer and only agreed after the NPC assured her that she would have total control over the transformation. The NPC lied. So now the two have to reconcile each other's attitudes toward the curse and how to work together in spite of it.
To me, character moments and arcs are more meaningful if they stem from choices players actively make, rather than hooks involving things that happened before the campaign started. Can you have a powerful backstory arc? Absolutely. My point is simply that it isn't the only way to spotlight characters.
Thanks for the advice!
I guess i was overthinking the whole backstory thing. I was really focused on their previous life being the core of their personality but obviously their characters will change as they go and make choices that shape their personalities. I still would like to do something with backstories but i won't put that much thought into it and put my preparing time into other things that advance the story.
We’re happy to help but this probably deserves its own thread. Also please provide a brief summary of campaign you’re thinking about so we have something to go on.
2) Player sounds like they are not that interested in RP'ing. Dont' have much to add.
3) Lean in to the "Pokemon" trainer & Pokedex-vibe. Build a number that they need to get to to have seen 'every creature in the XXX Region'. Feel like it is pretty reasonable for characters to remember that Frost Giants are immune to cold, and if they're all new players, it's not like they will be bringing many monster stats in to the game. You'd still have flexibility to 'play with the numbers' if needed, in a similar way there are lvls and stat randomness
4) If the attraction to Thorin's character is nobility-without-a-land, that should be pretty easy to use as a general backstory. If the attraction is instead to lead the party into a large 'reclamation' campaign, that might just allow you to use as the plot for your campaign. The Smaug-equivalent (enemy needed to kill to reclaim land) can also fit with 2)'s revenge plotin some way.
5) Maybe let them have an animal companion, similar to Wildfire Druids? Can't be a dragon, but can have a dragon buddy :)
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This is my first time ever running a dnd campaign. I watched all campaigns of critical role, i read a ton about the game, PHB, DMG, Tasha's stuff, almost everything. I feel like i got the rules part of the game figured out but i can't really come up with stuff for my PC's characters. I mean i have some vague ideas for their ark but i'm curious what other DMs would think of with these backstories and what i could do with them because i really would like everyone at the table to have special player moments. (They are new to dnd and being players so they're not too detailed) Any and all feedback or criticism is appreciated.
1.: Dragonborn Fighter: This person told me that he would like to appear human to everyone else. First he said that his family made a pact with a powerful being to change their bloodline's appearance because of the whole spellplague thing and how dragonborns are not really accepted everywhere, but i didn't really want the racism part since my version of faerun is not that racist, so we settled on "their bloodline being cursed by a wizard way back or something".
2.: Wood Elf Rogue: This was a tough one because almost every part of her story is made up by me. She couldn't really think of anything so i just said some things and she was like "Ok". I suggested a typical rogue story. Noble family, parents and sister murdered by bandits when she was 10. Only thing left from her father was a curved blade. She was taken in by a cute halfling family and she had a friend whose dad was an assasin. One day she found a head in their basement and asked them if they could help get revenge on their family. They showed her how to steal and kill, and made an assasin out of her. (I really have no idea for this one other than her somehow figuring out who killed her family and killing them)
3.: Wood Elf Druid: This person didn't really have a backstory for the first session but she now sent me that she wants to be a healer on the edge of the city of Neverwinter in a little wooden cabin. She wants her life's work to be studying different kinds of creatures. She said she just wants to - as her character - write down everything that a creature does, weak against, resistant against, and use that when they next encounter that type. (really have no idea for this one either)
4.: Dwarf Fighter: This guy literally wanted to be Thorin Oakenshield from lotr. Which again i have no idea how to handle because its not in this world but thats what he wanted so i went with it. I still don't know what to do about that. (Had some ideas that he is a drunk hobo and dreams of vast dwarven empires and a king named Thorin and he thinks its him)
5.: Dragonborn Ranger: Okay this is my gf's little sister's character. At the start she was like "So my character can fly and she is a dragon and she can breathe fire which instantly kills everything" But we're past that now and settled on her being an assasin too (like her sister) and she knows the neverwinter woods like the palm of her hand. (she also wanted "boom arrows" as a starting equipment on level 1 but i think i managed to tell her why she can't just be an amazing awesome killer machine right out the gate, im not sure)
Again, and and all feedback is appreciated as i can't really come up with anything for most of these characters.
I would start with asking yourself, what do the players want to get out of what I think is their first RPG. At a session 0 I would ask. "OK Who wants to fight a bunch of stuff? (Show of hands), Who wants to get treasure? Who wants to explore the world of Faerun? Who wants to learn more about the people (characters) at this table?" Asking questions like this helps set expectations and gives you some guidance for how to proceed. For instance, if no one wants to learn more about the people at the table just send them on a "hot start" dungeon crawl and don't bother with backstory. Now assuming everyone at the table wants to 1) Have Fun 2) Go on an Adventure, I would use the backstories as entry points rather than a means to generate a special moment (ala Critical Role). For example, I would (shamelessly steal from The Hobbit) and start with an NPC wizard who needs to recover a lost artifact held in the ruins of a lost dwarven fortress (Enter Character 4). Now character 4 can't do this on his own, he'll need a guide (Character 5) a burgler (Character 2) some extra muscle (Character 1) and someone to keep everyone in one piece (Character 2). Maybe the wizard has tea regularly with character 3, got lost in the woods once and found by character 5, can see the dragonborn heart beating in character 1's chest, was the target of a burglary by character 2 and somehow just mysteriously knows that character 4 is the last of a nearly dead noble dwarven bloodline. Do a little mini adventure/RP with the NPC and each character individually, that show cases the talents of each character. As you design encounters keep your characters talents in mind and play to those. For instance, make sure the Ranger's favored enemies show up and that there is enough combat to justify 2 fighters in the party as well as a few sneaky bits for the rogue. If you do these things I think each player will feel engaged and special.
I'm a little worried about character (and player) 2. Make sure to ask what they want to experience and get out of game. Importantly, a light backstory is totally fine for new players, show case their class features and use a little NPC RP to make them feel special.
Also since you mentioned CR, thats probably not the best example to follow right out of gate for a new DM and group. I'm a critter and I love the show too, but the dedication and professionalism that the CR team brings to the table can create a somewhat unrealistic expectation of how a more informal game will be played. A better example would be Force Grey:Lost City of Omu (on youTube). Mercer is also the DM here and does a great job of keeping a game moving forward and engaging with a less "theatrical" style of play.
-Happy Gaming
Thanks for the input!
The session 0 ship has sailed unfortunately, it would've been so much better like this though. We are doing LMOP by the way with some tweaks here and there and we're past the second session now. So i was thinking more like, figuring out stuff from their backgrounds to come up later. Like character 1 could just ever so faintly grow scales for a minute when he gets angry, (or when he decides to use his breath weapon). Character 2 i thought could have the redbrands as the bandits who killed their family. That's about everything i have come up with so far. But yeah, i was just thinking little things like that. Or maybe big idk. I also got the idea that Thorin could meet with Gandalf humming misty mountains when they are done with the campaign and when he goes up to him saying "wake up child" (or something) and then he goes back to erebor so he realizes he didn't just imagine it.
And i know critrole isn't really good material for a DM because nobody beats Mercer, and so i'm not trying that but trying to make my own style up as we go.
So first of all I will say give yourself, your players, and your characters a bit of grace. With everyone being mostly new players and you being a new DM there is going to be a lot of learning and adjusting of rules and stories.
As for backstories, I will run down what I think, but ultimately these are your players dreams, so do what you can to help accommodate as much as you can.
1. Dragonborn who appears human is a tough one, I LOVE your call on making it an ancestral curse. I will say in much of D&D lore, there are dragons who can shapeshift into humanoid creatures, so you could always give them that power, but that could be too powerful in the more creative players... so the ancestral wizard's curse is a safe bet that doesn't op any one PC. Special moment - comes across a magical grove that reveals his true form (build a quest to make it permanent if he wants to)
2. You don't have to have their backstory fleshed out. This could be something where as they become more comfortable with role playing they have ideas that come up. One thing I've implemented in past games is the "I know a guy" rule... (I'll explain this one below) ultimately I wouldn't worry too much about her, as a rogue they tend to play close to the chest and also keep their own stories a secret, so let her build as she goes. Special moment - Halfling family's dad was actually the secret leader of the bandit group and was the one who murdered her father. WHAT!?!
3. Another good one where people don't have to have a full backstory to be engaged in the game. Ultimately it sounds like she's trying to meta-game without actually meta-gaming... I actually applaud her use of character to explain her meta-gaming. Special moment - She's actually the older-sister of #2 and blocked out her memories as a child because she watched her dad get murdered. Reveal her past to her little bit at a time in dreams or visions (since they only meditate for 4 hours).
4. I had a player once write her entire character up as Frodo Baggins... so I know how this is. Play on it. He is the long lost heir of a fallen dwarven kingdom... just don't send a wizard to show him a map and a key and tell him there's a dragon that he needs to kill. Let the player use this character idea to guide whatever choices he needs to make, but don't give him the same quests to do them in. Special moment - literally ANYTHING, send an assassin to finish off his family name, send a letter of noble birth that includes a debt that needs to be paid, have him tie into someone else's story...
5. This one is fun.... younger kids can genuinely remind you why you run and play the game. Let her have 2 boom arrows. even as a lvl 1 starting character, she'll either use them and they're gone on a couple of goblins, or she'll save them for when they'll count and it'll be an epic story. If you missed giving them as a starting tool, let her find them early in the next session. Make it a good story as to why they're where she found them and then let her have fun. Special moment - boom arrows.... lets face it, sounds like she's gonna make her own special moment with these.
I know a guy rule - so the I know a guy rule is where at the beginning of every session I give every player an "IKAG" token. This allows them to literally use a story element of their character knowing someone from their past that can give them special knowledge or possibly even a skill of some sort. They only get one, there is no take backs and as DM I have to approve of it... but if it's a good enough story, well thought out, and ultimately doesn't break the game, it's theirs.
Rule of two - ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make players create a bond with another player when they're creating their characters for a long campaign. This way they have a reason to stick around and ultimately they lean on at least one other player. No one is a lone wolf in an adventure game. If you want that, go play Skyrim by yourself. (There are some exceptions to this, but this always makes keeping players engaged easier.)
One last thing is about rules. As I mentioned earlier, give yourself and everyone else grace at a new table. I share this small excerpt from my "what to expect when playing" sheet I hand out at the beginning of every session: "...it’s the DM’s table. While the rules are written out, they span across a multitude of books and oftentimes interpreted differently by the individuals reading them. Therefore, when a rule discrepancy arises, because it will, the DM will make the call for THAT moment in THAT session. If there are questions or concerns about how it is to play out in the future, let’s discuss it in the rules-chat channel on Discord."
I appreciate your input, thank you!
Love all the ideas for the characters. I'll try and go somewhere with this.
The foster parent being the bad guy for the rogue is so good! It was right there how did i not think of that??
Whoa whoa whoa hang on a minute, you are putting the cart before the horse here.
As a brand new DM and group of players, “Backstories” (which have zero mechanical impact on the game) are the least of your concerns.
Your focus should be combat, and dungeon creation. Learn the monsters, learn to fight tactically with them, and learn how to make, present, and run dungeons for your players.
They in turn need to focus on leaning character mechanics, and being effective in combat themselves. Make sure you guys enjoy the game’s main course before the dessert of backstories and “special moments” and whatnot.
I kind of agree with SireSamuel. You can do the elaborate backstory tie-in thing if you and your players want, but you also can create extremely memorable and satisfying character moments without backstory at all.
A character's backstory just helps a player come up with context for personality. The choices that player makes in the campaign, however, is where the good stuff happens. Here's examples from games I've been in:
- Our City Watch paladin was falsely accused of theft and conspiracy and kicked out of his hometown. The player decided to let his paladin get very bitter over that, and it turned into an arc in which an evil god started luring him to the darkside as his moral compass began to slip. The party had to help him figure out where his dark powers were coming from and snap him out of his violent moods. All while trying to, you know, save the world and stuff.
- Our warlock found some cursed magic items and didn't tell anyone they were preventing him from sleeping. It became a race against time to find a cleric to cure him before he died from exhaustion.
- My druid was cripplingly shy and had no self-confidence. An NPC ally forced her to undergo a trial of worth in order to secure safe passage for the rest of the party. She didn't do well, but instead of giving up when she failed, she tried to prove herself on her own for the sake of her friends. She ended up passing the second time and gaining some confidence in her skills.
- I offered two of my players the opportunity to willingly contract lycanthropy from an NPC. One character is an evil-aligned cleric of the werewolf god, so it was a no-brainer for him. The other didn't want to become a killer and only agreed after the NPC assured her that she would have total control over the transformation. The NPC lied. So now the two have to reconcile each other's attitudes toward the curse and how to work together in spite of it.
To me, character moments and arcs are more meaningful if they stem from choices players actively make, rather than hooks involving things that happened before the campaign started. Can you have a powerful backstory arc? Absolutely. My point is simply that it isn't the only way to spotlight characters.
I guess I was thinking less of "New DM" and more of "What else can I do to keep this engaging" But yes, this is very true...
Thank you!
I'll try to focus on the things you said. I just really wanted to give them an immersive experience though i see your point that it's not that important when we're not even that familiar with the basic stuff. I'll just stick with vague ideas then and if they do something that leads to those ideas coming into the game i'll try to implement it but otherwise i won't focus on them much until then.
Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for the advice!
I guess i was overthinking the whole backstory thing. I was really focused on their previous life being the core of their personality but obviously their characters will change as they go and make choices that shape their personalities. I still would like to do something with backstories but i won't put that much thought into it and put my preparing time into other things that advance the story.
Thank you!
I'm not a new DM but I need help coming up with a name for a homebrew campaign that I'm making and I don't know what to call it.
Dominic
We’re happy to help but this probably deserves its own thread. Also please provide a brief summary of campaign you’re thinking about so we have something to go on.
1) Is this to lead into a Warlock Multiclass?
2) Player sounds like they are not that interested in RP'ing. Dont' have much to add.
3) Lean in to the "Pokemon" trainer & Pokedex-vibe. Build a number that they need to get to to have seen 'every creature in the XXX Region'. Feel like it is pretty reasonable for characters to remember that Frost Giants are immune to cold, and if they're all new players, it's not like they will be bringing many monster stats in to the game. You'd still have flexibility to 'play with the numbers' if needed, in a similar way there are lvls and stat randomness
4) If the attraction to Thorin's character is nobility-without-a-land, that should be pretty easy to use as a general backstory. If the attraction is instead to lead the party into a large 'reclamation' campaign, that might just allow you to use as the plot for your campaign. The Smaug-equivalent (enemy needed to kill to reclaim land) can also fit with 2)'s revenge plotin some way.
5) Maybe let them have an animal companion, similar to Wildfire Druids? Can't be a dragon, but can have a dragon buddy :)