As a DM, have you ever been super focused on creating an amazing story from the backs of our minds yet finding your players only marginally engaged in the plot at hand? The methods outlined in this article speaks to a core truth that in a large way “cracks the code” for going from a good DM to a great one. If you do nothing else except start really weaving in your characters’ backstories to the forefront of the games that you run, you’ll see a dramatic amount more interest by all parties in the game. It is fascinating to see that In reality, people really want to feel like they are collaboratively telling a story. Giving them the opportunity to see the creative ideas from their own backstories surfacing in the story for the whole group to experience is stimulating and fun for all.
Here’s how it usually happens the mediocre way; a new campaign is starting and everyone is excited and full of potential ideas. Backstories are discussed and fine-tuned, accents and monologues are practiced for the moment of introduction, and daydreams of epic adventures dance in players’ heads. Fast forward a few months into the campaign and the party has typically learned little to nothing about each other’s backstories, combat and main plots being at the forefront, downtime and roleplaying during watches surrounding the current events, and all of the characters staying in the adventure for reasons often less clear than a displacer beast’s position. Along the way there may be a few callbacks to one character or another’s backstory, but the stories have little bearing on the events at hand, as a result, the character origins are forgotten or ignored.
Forget about mediocre. This guide will walk you through five methods on how to better use the character origins in your campaigns to keep the role-playing lively, the players involved, and the story rich. Let’s elevate your game with backstory weaving.
Organizations in D&D Backstories
Organizations can be powerful tools in the integration of character backstories. These ties to organizations can take the form of allegiances, or perhaps even a hostile relationship with characters hunting targets within… or being hunted themselves by a group.
Let’s look at an example. Bob wants to play a paladin that was excommunicated by his order for challenging the inherent corruption in the upper ranks. An order of paladins can be a widespread brotherhood found in most large cities. You, as the GM, may decide to have the party as a whole, and Bob’s character specifically, hounded by the members of this brotherhood in every city they go to until a satisfactory conclusion of his character arc is reached. The party is bound to notice and interact with Bob’s character about the order, and quite probably with the order itself, helping to develop Bob’s character and bring conflict to the party.
In another example, Mariá wants to play a bard that has some ties to a criminal family that she regularly uses and exploits. This family could become a regular employer of the party, or perhaps a villainous group that Mariá must decide whether to work against, or work as a mole for. Can you see how these dynamics can bring intrigue and tension to the whole party’s experience?
Key Takeaway: leave space in the plans for your campaign to have a few organizations that you can adapt from your players’ backstories.
Partners in D&D Backstories
Bringing in partners can, and should, be used to great effect in the integration of backstories. Characters generally are not born into existence at the beginning of a campaign, hence the need for backstories. Many of these backstories involve a mentor, trainee, or some other sort of partner that can be brought into the forefront to elevate your story.
Going back to our examples before, Bob’s character was shown the corruption by his mentor in the order. If the mentor is still alive, an encounter with him by the party could lend itself to furthering the relationships between Bob’s character and the rest of the party, exploring Bob’s character’s backstory, and furthering his story.
Let’s say that Mariá’s character had a partner that stabbed her in the back after a job. Whether literally or metaphorically this betrayal would have left scars. Once it was known that Mariá’s character is working with the party her former partner could seek the party out for a variety of reasons. The partner could try to influence the party against Mariá’s character, or perhaps just try to assassinate Mariá’s character and lead the party on a search for who would want to kill one of their members and why.
Key Takeaway: When planning your campaign leave blank spaces that can be filled strategically by partners from your players’ pasts.
Personal Quests in D&D Backstories
The personal character quest is a motherlode of material for you as the DM to bring engaging content into your game. The quintessential adventurer loves and yearns after quests. Quests are part of the lifeblood of role-playing games! There are many characters dreamt up and created by players whose entire identity revolves around a singular quest. These quests can be great for use by GMs who are looking at the long game. The BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy/Gal) can be introduced as a part of the personal quest, this will ensure the player’s investment in completing not only their own quest but in vanquishing the BBEG themselves. Quests also are great at acting as overarching storylines or connecting arcs between the story of the main campaign. However they are used, it is important that a character who is on a personal mission has time and story to devote to finishing that goal. If a character can’t work on their quest, then they need to have a really good reason to delay it.
Key Takeaway: Both helping and hurting the progress of a players’ personal quest can be great for longer campaigns. Incorporating them and giving them space to breathe is key.
D&D Character Classes
Many character classes have inherent backstory hooks in them. A warlock’s patron can be especially influential in a campaign for good or evil, a sorcerer trying to find the origin of the bloodline that lends them power in the first place, or a cleric trying to do all they can to bring praise to their deity. Classes are intentionally made with role-playing and backstories in mind and that side of them are often overlooked in favor of the mechanics. Sure, a fighter can attack multiple times in a turn, but have your players ask themselves who taught them to do that? Why have they been unable to do so before? What constitutes a monk’s achievement of the next level of enlightenment such that they are able to gain a level mechanically?
Key Takeaway: Know the role-playing hooks of the classes of your players and use them to bring your story to life.
D&D Races
The races that each player chooses also offer up plenty of storytelling and backstory options. Consider these thought-provoking questions.
- Would a tiefling try to find the infernal being that started your race?
- Or how would they react to that being searching them out and claiming payment on a deal made by their ancestors?
- How would a human’s family react to them traveling with people of assorted other races? Does a human feel inadequate or intimidated by members of more exotic races?
- Would a human of one subrace prefer the company of races widely considered monstrous to members of their own race?
- Does a dragonborn know or care of the culture of dragons?
- Would it bother them to fight a dragon of their own color?
Aspects of characters as fundamental as race and class are often overlooked, but hold much storytelling and backstory integration potential on their own.
Key Takeaway: Know the origins of the different races in your campaign, especially ones with powerful beings affecting their conception, help your players tap into this for their own role play. Know the general feelings of each race towards the other so that your NPCs may act accordingly.
Summary
Experience has shown that integrating backstories may be the single best technique to keep players more engaged. Reward them for the effort put into backstories, then use the nuggets from characters past to provide a richer experience for all involved. Key Takeaways:
- Leave space in the plans for your campaign to have a few organizations that you can adapt from your players’ backstories.
- Both helping and hurting the progress of a players’ personal quest can be great for longer campaigns. Incorporating them and giving them space to breathe is key.
- Know the role-playing hooks of the classes of your players and use them to bring your story to life.
- Know the origins of the different races in your campaign, especially ones with powerful beings affecting their conception, help your players tap into this for their own role play. Know the general feelings of each race towards the other so that your NPCs may act accordingly.
- Know the origins of the different races in your campaign, especially ones with powerful beings affecting their conception, help your players tap into this for their own role play. Know the general feelings of each race towards the other so that your NPCs may act accordingly.
A Little Gift
We’ve made a little printable bookmark to remember these five great tips. Print it out and put it in your DM’s Guide for a quick memory jog! Totally free.
