None of my Players have detailed backstories at the moment. It's a new campaign, only 3-4 sessions in, but I still find that somewhat disappointing, as I love using Character motivations, and elements of Character past in the current events.
However - you can't force people to write creatively. However, they're there to play creatively, so I thought, "why not leverage that?".
So I hit upon an idea, and I'd like to know if others have used it, what the problems might be, and what you might suggest to make it work. Essentially, whenever a Character might have an element in their backstory that's relevant, stop, ask the Player some questions about the Character backstory, and if there was a relevant event, stop and play a short RP scene out as a flashback. From that point on, the events / choices / things said / etc. of that flashback are now story canon so far as the current time and events of the campaign are concerned.
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I have not done it at the table, but I have done something similar before the session. Knowing what is coming up, I think about whether one of my players is connected in their past. If so, I'll talk to them before and flesh out their story so that it is not only fresh in their mind, but also more developed. If I tried at the table, it would probably end up just being me describing their backstory without their input. I'm just guessing, but if they don't know their backstory, trying to RP it at the table might put them on the spot a bit? Kind of like a forced improv into their backstory? I might not have read what you were planning correctly though.
This is a great way to both get impromptu backstory and let a player who DOES have a written backstory tell about during the session. I especially like to do it with senses, "As the crypt door swings open, the stench of rotting corpses fills your nose. Maybe it reminds you of something from your past, what might that be?" This lays it out for the player to decide what they want to tell, if anything at all. Maybe the paladin recalls the first time he fought undead and relays the story in-character; maybe the wizard is overwhelmed with nausea as she recalls her academy lessons about necromancy. It's a really great tool for some evocative character focused RP.
I do think that a flashback can help players to flesh out their characters and feel more attached to who they're playing.
See if your players can give you a few sentences about their backstory that you can run with, it’ll help you to run flashback scenes to explore their characters. You don't want to go too far though; if you create a backstory for them yourself without any of their own input in a flashback you’re taking their character away from them. No-one wants the DM to play their character!
Two of my players at the moment have given me plenty to work with for flashbacks, so I’m keen to use this. One has a huge backstory about how he escaped a death cult after he realised the atrocities they were committing. He is on the way to becoming a paladin to stamp out evil where he can as a result, undoing the damage he's caused. There's plenty of scope for us to do a flashback scene to his evil days, and I can always, if I wanted to, have ghosts from his past return to test his newly-sworn oath.
The other hasn't any obvious backstory, just a past shrouded in mystery. The campaign started with the party's patron sending out a note requesting their help; all we know is that her "contacts" intercepted a note intended for someone else, and so she is tagging along. Perhaps I could do a flashback to where she receives the note, revealing that her contact is the antagonist making sure she tagged along. :D
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Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
@Sigvard_Vigrid - you're right, this is kind of forcing improv RP and story creation onto the Players. Not everyone might be comfortable with that! This is clearly something I'd have to run past the group before we adapt it.
@Lighspeed - Good point about leveraging players who already have a background worked out - it lets them show it off, without having to improv. I like your idea of giving them leading questions, and then also backing off if they really don't want to play it out. The idea of letting them use it, or not - but giving them the opportunity - I think is a wise approach.
@Fishfingerrosti - you bring up a good point about "secretive" background elements. Maybe the Player doesn't want to expose their background elements to the Party. You see this handled in Critial Role by Matt Mercer sending everyone else out of the room ( alternative: take the other Player aside ), but that tends to break the game flow for everyone else. I'll have to think on this.
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I have two players in one of my games with whom I intend on using flashback moments.
One will have hers very soon, she's received the key to her family home, a place she hasn't been to in close to 16 years. Her last memories of the place were of her brother being sucked into a summoning circle by a demon. Her Mother was found dead in another town, and rumors of her parents mapping the continent were proven true by the map and case she was holding. Her father is missing and she has no clues to work off of. When they reach her family home I intend on doing a bit of a montage of memories, allowing her to give details as she sees necessary. The biggest reason for this is to help her come out of her shell as a player since she's very quiet and doesn't really get into character much. The other is to help get an idea on how she wants to move forward with her character arc.
I think that flashback scenes are a useful narrative tool but with a bit of a caveat. The rest of the players at the table are going to be sitting there doing a whole lot of nothing during a flashback. I would say that using this tool should be done sparingly and specifically for moments of great import to help move a story along. That said, I did also use the flashback scene as a tool to help introduce players to each other during the opening sessions of another campaign with great success. Each player got the chance to live out a scene to explore their motivations to be an adventurer and show of a bit of their personality.
I agree the rest of the party isn't involved with the scene - but I'm hoping that's offset by the party being entertained by learning a little more about their team-mates that they didn't know.
I also agree that it should only be used when the flashback is relevant to the story-line - otherwise it's just a pointless diversion which breaks the narrative flow.
I guess this is just like any "spotlight scene", except that it's taking place in the past.
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One option to keep the other players involved is to just make this a thing--"We're going to start fleshing out your character backgrounds from time to time."
Then, when you step into a flashback for Fred's character, you can ask Susan to play the innkeeper in Fred's flashback. Put the other players into the flashback as some of the NPCs in the story (technically they are now temporary PCs :) and everyone gets to be in that moment.
This could easily be a hook for future characters. If Susan keeps playing Fred's old friend the innkeeper in multiple flashbacks, and Susan's current character dies, she might like playing the innkeeper, and the two of you might decide that the Innkeeper needs to join the party as her new character. Complete with some backstory and a connection to the party, via Fred. :)
None of my Players have detailed backstories at the moment. It's a new campaign, only 3-4 sessions in, but I still find that somewhat disappointing, as I love using Character motivations, and elements of Character past in the current events.
fwiw: I've always disliked developing backstories beforehand. It never goes well: it either doesn't fit the campaign, or the DM uses this information against you.
However, developing your character as you play is an excellent idea. It allows the characters to get a *feel* for their PC (i.e. get more ideas) and embellish details as they play. Plus, it feels more intuitive (and is more like how movies handle exposition), as players can more easily tailor details to fit your evolving world.
Note though: "In Media Res" usually refers to the current story rather than backstories. Example: starting an adventure in the middle (and handling how the PC got there as flashbacks) would be 'in media res'. Conversely: handling backstories as flashbacks is just normal exposition.
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
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None of my Players have detailed backstories at the moment. It's a new campaign, only 3-4 sessions in, but I still find that somewhat disappointing, as I love using Character motivations, and elements of Character past in the current events.
However - you can't force people to write creatively. However, they're there to play creatively, so I thought, "why not leverage that?".
So I hit upon an idea, and I'd like to know if others have used it, what the problems might be, and what you might suggest to make it work. Essentially, whenever a Character might have an element in their backstory that's relevant, stop, ask the Player some questions about the Character backstory, and if there was a relevant event, stop and play a short RP scene out as a flashback. From that point on, the events / choices / things said / etc. of that flashback are now story canon so far as the current time and events of the campaign are concerned.
Thoughts?
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I have not done it at the table, but I have done something similar before the session. Knowing what is coming up, I think about whether one of my players is connected in their past. If so, I'll talk to them before and flesh out their story so that it is not only fresh in their mind, but also more developed. If I tried at the table, it would probably end up just being me describing their backstory without their input. I'm just guessing, but if they don't know their backstory, trying to RP it at the table might put them on the spot a bit? Kind of like a forced improv into their backstory? I might not have read what you were planning correctly though.
This is a great way to both get impromptu backstory and let a player who DOES have a written backstory tell about during the session. I especially like to do it with senses, "As the crypt door swings open, the stench of rotting corpses fills your nose. Maybe it reminds you of something from your past, what might that be?" This lays it out for the player to decide what they want to tell, if anything at all. Maybe the paladin recalls the first time he fought undead and relays the story in-character; maybe the wizard is overwhelmed with nausea as she recalls her academy lessons about necromancy. It's a really great tool for some evocative character focused RP.
I do think that a flashback can help players to flesh out their characters and feel more attached to who they're playing.
See if your players can give you a few sentences about their backstory that you can run with, it’ll help you to run flashback scenes to explore their characters. You don't want to go too far though; if you create a backstory for them yourself without any of their own input in a flashback you’re taking their character away from them. No-one wants the DM to play their character!
Two of my players at the moment have given me plenty to work with for flashbacks, so I’m keen to use this. One has a huge backstory about how he escaped a death cult after he realised the atrocities they were committing. He is on the way to becoming a paladin to stamp out evil where he can as a result, undoing the damage he's caused. There's plenty of scope for us to do a flashback scene to his evil days, and I can always, if I wanted to, have ghosts from his past return to test his newly-sworn oath.
The other hasn't any obvious backstory, just a past shrouded in mystery. The campaign started with the party's patron sending out a note requesting their help; all we know is that her "contacts" intercepted a note intended for someone else, and so she is tagging along. Perhaps I could do a flashback to where she receives the note, revealing that her contact is the antagonist making sure she tagged along. :D
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
Thanks for the feedback :)
@Sigvard_Vigrid - you're right, this is kind of forcing improv RP and story creation onto the Players. Not everyone might be comfortable with that! This is clearly something I'd have to run past the group before we adapt it.
@Lighspeed - Good point about leveraging players who already have a background worked out - it lets them show it off, without having to improv. I like your idea of giving them leading questions, and then also backing off if they really don't want to play it out. The idea of letting them use it, or not - but giving them the opportunity - I think is a wise approach.
@Fishfingerrosti - you bring up a good point about "secretive" background elements. Maybe the Player doesn't want to expose their background elements to the Party. You see this handled in Critial Role by Matt Mercer sending everyone else out of the room ( alternative: take the other Player aside ), but that tends to break the game flow for everyone else. I'll have to think on this.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I have two players in one of my games with whom I intend on using flashback moments.
One will have hers very soon, she's received the key to her family home, a place she hasn't been to in close to 16 years. Her last memories of the place were of her brother being sucked into a summoning circle by a demon. Her Mother was found dead in another town, and rumors of her parents mapping the continent were proven true by the map and case she was holding. Her father is missing and she has no clues to work off of. When they reach her family home I intend on doing a bit of a montage of memories, allowing her to give details as she sees necessary. The biggest reason for this is to help her come out of her shell as a player since she's very quiet and doesn't really get into character much. The other is to help get an idea on how she wants to move forward with her character arc.
I think that flashback scenes are a useful narrative tool but with a bit of a caveat. The rest of the players at the table are going to be sitting there doing a whole lot of nothing during a flashback. I would say that using this tool should be done sparingly and specifically for moments of great import to help move a story along. That said, I did also use the flashback scene as a tool to help introduce players to each other during the opening sessions of another campaign with great success. Each player got the chance to live out a scene to explore their motivations to be an adventurer and show of a bit of their personality.
I agree the rest of the party isn't involved with the scene - but I'm hoping that's offset by the party being entertained by learning a little more about their team-mates that they didn't know.
I also agree that it should only be used when the flashback is relevant to the story-line - otherwise it's just a pointless diversion which breaks the narrative flow.
I guess this is just like any "spotlight scene", except that it's taking place in the past.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
One option to keep the other players involved is to just make this a thing--"We're going to start fleshing out your character backgrounds from time to time."
Then, when you step into a flashback for Fred's character, you can ask Susan to play the innkeeper in Fred's flashback. Put the other players into the flashback as some of the NPCs in the story (technically they are now temporary PCs :) and everyone gets to be in that moment.
This could easily be a hook for future characters. If Susan keeps playing Fred's old friend the innkeeper in multiple flashbacks, and Susan's current character dies, she might like playing the innkeeper, and the two of you might decide that the Innkeeper needs to join the party as her new character. Complete with some backstory and a connection to the party, via Fred. :)
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
fwiw: I've always disliked developing backstories beforehand. It never goes well: it either doesn't fit the campaign, or the DM uses this information against you.
However, developing your character as you play is an excellent idea. It allows the characters to get a *feel* for their PC (i.e. get more ideas) and embellish details as they play. Plus, it feels more intuitive (and is more like how movies handle exposition), as players can more easily tailor details to fit your evolving world.
Note though: "In Media Res" usually refers to the current story rather than backstories. Example: starting an adventure in the middle (and handling how the PC got there as flashbacks) would be 'in media res'. Conversely: handling backstories as flashbacks is just normal exposition.
Aww - but then I wouldn't get to use a Latin quote! But you're right :)
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.