10 years ago a crack dwarven commando was sent to prison by a military court for a crime he didn't commit. This Dwarf promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the (insert city) underground. Today, still wanted by the government, he survives as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire the Axe man
(paraphrased from the intro to a certain 80's tv show)
Hello I need a backstory for a mountain dwarf fighter with the soldier background I thought he was in a war between dwarves vs Elves how they grew up, their military training, what happened during the war, how he feels about war, and I figured he was thrown in prison for something he did that was wrong in the war.
I mean that's 90% of your backstory right there. You don't need to work out everything that happened during the war, just one moment that defined it for him. That moment would determine how he feels about the war and could likely also be the thing that threw him into prison. I really think that moment should come from you, and once you have it you will have all you need. And honestly you don't need to figure it out before the game begins - it can really pay off to spend some time in the campaign world and then use that knowledge to integrate your past experiences into the setting the DM has laid out. It becomes a lot easier to weave your character's story into the story of the adventure.
10 years ago a crack dwarven commando was sent to prison by a military court for a crime he didn't commit. This Dwarf promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the (insert city) underground. Today, still wanted by the government, he survives as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire the A(xe) man
While I think this A-team reference is kind of in jest, it actually does a good job of outlining the essence of a backstory. You don't need to know the crime he didn't commit. You don't need to know the exact services he provides. You just have the impression of a betrayed upstanding badass outlaw that makes his living helping people.
10 years ago a crack dwarven commando was sent to prison by a military court for a crime he didn't commit. This Dwarf promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the (insert city) underground. Today, still wanted by the government, he survives as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire the Axe man
(paraphrased from the intro to a certain 80's tv show)
I mean that's 90% of your backstory right there. You don't need to work out everything that happened during the war, just one moment that defined it for him. That moment would determine how he feels about the war and could likely also be the thing that threw him into prison. I really think that moment should come from you, and once you have it you will have all you need. And honestly you don't need to figure it out before the game begins - it can really pay off to spend some time in the campaign world and then use that knowledge to integrate your past experiences into the setting the DM has laid out. It becomes a lot easier to weave your character's story into the story of the adventure.
While I think this A-team reference is kind of in jest, it actually does a good job of outlining the essence of a backstory. You don't need to know the crime he didn't commit. You don't need to know the exact services he provides. You just have the impression of a betrayed upstanding badass outlaw that makes his living helping people.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
it was mostly jest but I do like the image of a dwarf with a mohawk called BA Baracus, the BA standing for Big Axe.