So I thought I'd share the backstory for my very first character, Remi, a Lightfoot Halfling Ranger. I'm very new to DnD, so feedback and critique is highly appreciated! Also sorry in advance if the post is kinda long, I don't know how spoilers work on here. :p
Growing up in the tiny village of Rimeshear, Remi could only ever remember being alone. She had not a clue what happened to her parents, only that they were gone away and had left her on the streets. Like most in her situation, she was forced to steal for the sake of survival. A combination of her tiny size, natural stealth and luck meant that for the most part, she got away scott-free. One day, however, luck was not on Remi's side. Or so she thought. The 11-year old had been caught in the act of stealing some fish from the market, and was promptly chased down by the shop's owner. In her rush to escape, Remi accidentally bumped into someone, knocking them over. What happened next was a blur of local law enforcement, the stranger being taken away, and several shopkeepers celebrating and thanking the young halfling. As it turned out, the person she had bumped into was an infamous wanted-criminal in the village, who had been robbing the local shops blind and seemingly avoiding capture with ease. Until now, thanks to Remi. For a time she was heralded as a hero, being pampered and doted on by the townsfolk. Needless to say, the attention starved girl got easily addicted to the praise.
Sadly, the praise did not last forever. Remi's "heroic" act became old news, and by the time she was 16, it and her had faded back into obscurity. To be an unknown was one thing, but to be the center of the town, and then so blatantly forgotten? To say she felt betrayed was an understatement. Nevertheless, she tried to get on with her life. Now older, she was finally able to get herself a tiring, but decent job as a hunter, who sold most of her catches to the local butchers. The stealth she had been forced to learn as a child certainly came in handy when tracking easily frightened prey, and some of the well-seasoned hunters were more than happy to teach her how to manage for long periods of time in the wilderness, as well as give her a crash course in archery. However, Remi's mind, even years later, continued to yearn, crave for the love the village had once showered her in. That yearning was exactly what was on her mind when, one night while having a drink in the city tavern, she overheard the song of an older bard. He was new to town, but people seemed to already like him, not just for his magnetic personality, but for the stories he told with his ballads. He sang, loud and proud, about the many fantastical adventures he had gone on with his former companions, and Remi found herself hooked on every word. More importantly, however, she noticed everyone else was too. Two days later, Remi was packed up and leaving the town she called home, determined not to return until she had accomplished something to make her worthy of their adoration once more.
I like it, it gives you the motivation for Remi adventuring and it could give your DM some plot hook sto use if they wanted to (as in Remi finding out what happened to her family or the criminal escapes or is released form jail and comes for revenge).
Ditto maybe introduce some friends see if the other player's in your game might want to weave their characters into your back story so you can begin with a reason to be together and why you trust them at your back and they you?
I like that they openly want to recapture lost fame, that’s an interesting motivation.
Would it streamline the character to say: after her parents died outside the small town where she lived, she survived by hunting, so she’s already a good shot? And the brush with fame came when she won an impromptu archery tournament thrown to entertain the queen when her carriage broke down outside the village one night? Accidentally having a criminal trip on her and that changing the whole direction of her life robs her of agency.
While the character is still just yours, before you throw her fate to the dice: Is she a person who wants something and struggles for it? Or is she a person things happen to by accident?
I appreciate yours and everyone's feedback, it certainly gives me a lot to think about!
I do think her winning an archery contest is a little too streamlined, but perhaps her being "robbed of agency" as you mentioned, could actually be part of her backstory? Maybe deep down, Remi knows that the event that made her so famous was out of her control, and it frustrates her. Maybe she feels like fate is messing with her, first by dealing her a less-than-ideal childhood , and then seemingly changing its mind out of nowhere and making her a local legend through something she had no control over, and then allowing her to fade back into obscurity. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and one of her personality traits (that I rolled for at random) was that she didn't think tyrants should be allowed to oppress people. What if, in her mind, the so-called "tyrants" are not corporeal beings, but rather fate itself? Maybe her setting out on adventure was not just for the sake of reclaiming her previous fame, but as a way to carve out her own path, which in her mind she had not been allowed to do growing up.
I don't know if that would be considered "cliche", but either way, your feedback has definitely given me some inspiration (which I've been struggling to get for this character) so thank you for your post!
I'm intrigued. The idea of her being addicted to fame and attention actually makes for an interesting character flaw, and something she could struggle with as a character. I could see a mental struggle that has trouble reconciling between doing the right thing because its right and doing what seems to be the right thing for the sake of attention. I could also see an ironic situation developing where if she does run into a situation that earns their adorartion, it will be for the last thing she expects. I could also see a character arc focused on her tensions with the rest of the party, maybe coming to realize that it is better to earn affection from people who like you for who you are and not worth the trouble of earning praise from people who ultimately don't care about you.
There might also be some room for the Dungeon Master to incorporate Remi's backstory into the campaign. For instance, there could be a plotline about her past catching up to her in a less-than-favorable manner. As an example, maybe the criminal has since escaped from prison and wants revenge against the girl who unwittingly put him there. Or One of the townspeople actually remembers her heroics... and then immediately tries to talk her into dealing with another much worse enemy. Or even a sleazy con artist who maybe tries to exploit her desperation to manipulate her into doing some less-than-favorable actions. Lost of interesting story options here.
Maybe deep down, Remi knows that the event that made her so famous was out of her control, and it frustrates her. Maybe she feels like fate is messing with her, first by dealing her a less-than-ideal childhood , and then seemingly changing its mind out of nowhere and making her a local legend through something she had no control over, and then allowing her to fade back into obscurity. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and one of her personality traits (that I rolled for at random) was that she didn't think tyrants should be allowed to oppress people. What if, in her mind, the so-called "tyrants" are not corporeal beings, but rather fate itself? Maybe her setting out on adventure was not just for the sake of reclaiming her previous fame, but as a way to carve out her own path, which in her mind she had not been allowed to do growing up.
I don't know if that would be considered "cliche", but either way, your feedback has definitely given me some inspiration (which I've been struggling to get for this character) so thank you for your post!
This, and the original first pass, are excellent. You got this.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
So I thought I'd share the backstory for my very first character, Remi, a Lightfoot Halfling Ranger. I'm very new to DnD, so feedback and critique is highly appreciated! Also sorry in advance if the post is kinda long, I don't know how spoilers work on here. :p
Growing up in the tiny village of Rimeshear, Remi could only ever remember being alone. She had not a clue what happened to her parents, only that they were gone away and had left her on the streets. Like most in her situation, she was forced to steal for the sake of survival. A combination of her tiny size, natural stealth and luck meant that for the most part, she got away scott-free. One day, however, luck was not on Remi's side. Or so she thought. The 11-year old had been caught in the act of stealing some fish from the market, and was promptly chased down by the shop's owner. In her rush to escape, Remi accidentally bumped into someone, knocking them over. What happened next was a blur of local law enforcement, the stranger being taken away, and several shopkeepers celebrating and thanking the young halfling. As it turned out, the person she had bumped into was an infamous wanted-criminal in the village, who had been robbing the local shops blind and seemingly avoiding capture with ease. Until now, thanks to Remi. For a time she was heralded as a hero, being pampered and doted on by the townsfolk. Needless to say, the attention starved girl got easily addicted to the praise.
Sadly, the praise did not last forever. Remi's "heroic" act became old news, and by the time she was 16, it and her had faded back into obscurity. To be an unknown was one thing, but to be the center of the town, and then so blatantly forgotten? To say she felt betrayed was an understatement. Nevertheless, she tried to get on with her life. Now older, she was finally able to get herself a tiring, but decent job as a hunter, who sold most of her catches to the local butchers. The stealth she had been forced to learn as a child certainly came in handy when tracking easily frightened prey, and some of the well-seasoned hunters were more than happy to teach her how to manage for long periods of time in the wilderness, as well as give her a crash course in archery. However, Remi's mind, even years later, continued to yearn, crave for the love the village had once showered her in. That yearning was exactly what was on her mind when, one night while having a drink in the city tavern, she overheard the song of an older bard. He was new to town, but people seemed to already like him, not just for his magnetic personality, but for the stories he told with his ballads. He sang, loud and proud, about the many fantastical adventures he had gone on with his former companions, and Remi found herself hooked on every word. More importantly, however, she noticed everyone else was too. Two days later, Remi was packed up and leaving the town she called home, determined not to return until she had accomplished something to make her worthy of their adoration once more.
It's pretty good, It accomplishes what a backstory in D&D needs to accomplish as it gives the character motivation to go and become a adventurer. However my advice would be to add connections to other characters, these can be npcs or player characters (make sure if its another persons player character to ask them). For example your character probably made some enemies on her travel who would want to finish their grudges. However, this is just a idea and you just keep doing what you want, it's your character after all.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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So I thought I'd share the backstory for my very first character, Remi, a Lightfoot Halfling Ranger. I'm very new to DnD, so feedback and critique is highly appreciated! Also sorry in advance if the post is kinda long, I don't know how spoilers work on here. :p
Growing up in the tiny village of Rimeshear, Remi could only ever remember being alone. She had not a clue what happened to her parents, only that they were gone away and had left her on the streets. Like most in her situation, she was forced to steal for the sake of survival. A combination of her tiny size, natural stealth and luck meant that for the most part, she got away scott-free. One day, however, luck was not on Remi's side. Or so she thought. The 11-year old had been caught in the act of stealing some fish from the market, and was promptly chased down by the shop's owner. In her rush to escape, Remi accidentally bumped into someone, knocking them over. What happened next was a blur of local law enforcement, the stranger being taken away, and several shopkeepers celebrating and thanking the young halfling. As it turned out, the person she had bumped into was an infamous wanted-criminal in the village, who had been robbing the local shops blind and seemingly avoiding capture with ease. Until now, thanks to Remi. For a time she was heralded as a hero, being pampered and doted on by the townsfolk. Needless to say, the attention starved girl got easily addicted to the praise.
Sadly, the praise did not last forever. Remi's "heroic" act became old news, and by the time she was 16, it and her had faded back into obscurity. To be an unknown was one thing, but to be the center of the town, and then so blatantly forgotten? To say she felt betrayed was an understatement. Nevertheless, she tried to get on with her life. Now older, she was finally able to get herself a tiring, but decent job as a hunter, who sold most of her catches to the local butchers. The stealth she had been forced to learn as a child certainly came in handy when tracking easily frightened prey, and some of the well-seasoned hunters were more than happy to teach her how to manage for long periods of time in the wilderness, as well as give her a crash course in archery. However, Remi's mind, even years later, continued to yearn, crave for the love the village had once showered her in. That yearning was exactly what was on her mind when, one night while having a drink in the city tavern, she overheard the song of an older bard. He was new to town, but people seemed to already like him, not just for his magnetic personality, but for the stories he told with his ballads. He sang, loud and proud, about the many fantastical adventures he had gone on with his former companions, and Remi found herself hooked on every word. More importantly, however, she noticed everyone else was too. Two days later, Remi was packed up and leaving the town she called home, determined not to return until she had accomplished something to make her worthy of their adoration once more.
I like it, it gives you the motivation for Remi adventuring and it could give your DM some plot hook sto use if they wanted to (as in Remi finding out what happened to her family or the criminal escapes or is released form jail and comes for revenge).
Ditto maybe introduce some friends see if the other player's in your game might want to weave their characters into your back story so you can begin with a reason to be together and why you trust them at your back and they you?
I like that they openly want to recapture lost fame, that’s an interesting motivation.
Would it streamline the character to say: after her parents died outside the small town where she lived, she survived by hunting, so she’s already a good shot? And the brush with fame came when she won an impromptu archery tournament thrown to entertain the queen when her carriage broke down outside the village one night? Accidentally having a criminal trip on her and that changing the whole direction of her life robs her of agency.
While the character is still just yours, before you throw her fate to the dice: Is she a person who wants something and struggles for it? Or is she a person things happen to by accident?
I appreciate yours and everyone's feedback, it certainly gives me a lot to think about!
I do think her winning an archery contest is a little too streamlined, but perhaps her being "robbed of agency" as you mentioned, could actually be part of her backstory? Maybe deep down, Remi knows that the event that made her so famous was out of her control, and it frustrates her. Maybe she feels like fate is messing with her, first by dealing her a less-than-ideal childhood , and then seemingly changing its mind out of nowhere and making her a local legend through something she had no control over, and then allowing her to fade back into obscurity. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and one of her personality traits (that I rolled for at random) was that she didn't think tyrants should be allowed to oppress people. What if, in her mind, the so-called "tyrants" are not corporeal beings, but rather fate itself? Maybe her setting out on adventure was not just for the sake of reclaiming her previous fame, but as a way to carve out her own path, which in her mind she had not been allowed to do growing up.
I don't know if that would be considered "cliche", but either way, your feedback has definitely given me some inspiration (which I've been struggling to get for this character) so thank you for your post!
I'm intrigued. The idea of her being addicted to fame and attention actually makes for an interesting character flaw, and something she could struggle with as a character. I could see a mental struggle that has trouble reconciling between doing the right thing because its right and doing what seems to be the right thing for the sake of attention. I could also see an ironic situation developing where if she does run into a situation that earns their adorartion, it will be for the last thing she expects. I could also see a character arc focused on her tensions with the rest of the party, maybe coming to realize that it is better to earn affection from people who like you for who you are and not worth the trouble of earning praise from people who ultimately don't care about you.
There might also be some room for the Dungeon Master to incorporate Remi's backstory into the campaign. For instance, there could be a plotline about her past catching up to her in a less-than-favorable manner. As an example, maybe the criminal has since escaped from prison and wants revenge against the girl who unwittingly put him there. Or One of the townspeople actually remembers her heroics... and then immediately tries to talk her into dealing with another much worse enemy. Or even a sleazy con artist who maybe tries to exploit her desperation to manipulate her into doing some less-than-favorable actions. Lost of interesting story options here.
This, and the original first pass, are excellent. You got this.
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
It's pretty good, It accomplishes what a backstory in D&D needs to accomplish as it gives the character motivation to go and become a adventurer. However my advice would be to add connections to other characters, these can be npcs or player characters (make sure if its another persons player character to ask them). For example your character probably made some enemies on her travel who would want to finish their grudges. However, this is just a idea and you just keep doing what you want, it's your character after all.