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In the previous blog posts, we discussed the class and race of your character. Hopefully, you already have a good idea of the character you want to play!
Background and backstory are terms that might be easy to confuse. In Dungeons and Dragons, they are related but not entirely the same. However, they are both good ways to add interesting aspects to your character!
Dungeons and Dragons background
The background of a Dungeons and Dragons character can be seen as the "job" or function they had before they went on an adventure. Besides getting a little bit of equipment from it, it also gives you some minor skills that you can use during social situations. For example, the brave folk hero who saved a village always has a place to sleep, or the deceptive charlatan has a false identity they can use to fool the city guards.
The background you choose also provides inspiration for your character's personality. The folk hero despises authority and judges people not by their words, but by their deeds. The charlatan steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but cannot resist the chance to swindle someone.
Tip: There is a complete list of backgrounds available in the Player’s Handbook. You can also find more specific or extravagant backgrounds in expansion books or setting guides if you are looking for those!
Backstory
The backstory is the tale your Dungeons and Dragons character has experienced before the adventure at the table begins. You can create it yourself! You can make your background story as detailed or simple as you like, dark and tragic or heroic and hopeful. Don't be afraid to use ideas from movies, books, series, and games you find cool. If you need some inspiration, you can look at the list of ideas you find with your background.
Here are two examples:
The Folk Hero Ernest of Enbar grew up in a small village exploited by a robber knight and her gang. No one dared to oppose her until the young Ernest challenged the heavily armored knight to a duel on a warm summer day, which she arrogantly accepted. During their fight, he ensured that her armour became so unbearably hot in the sun that she could no longer fight and surrendered. The exhausted knight and her gang were driven out of the village, and Ernest became known as a folk hero. Now he travels the country to help small villages in need against bandits and monsters.
The Charlatan Floria of Dresnost grew up in a merchant family in a distant land, which was extremely wealthy until all their ships were wrecked in a storm. The young Floria began a series of scams to support her family, which led to a spectacular blunder when she tried to swindle the high priest of the largest temple in the city. Floria fled from his wrath and now travels the world as an experienced con artist. She occasionally sends packages and letters to her family filled with gold and other treasures she finds (and steals) in her adventures.
Tip: Always discuss your character's backstory with your dungeon master to ensure it fits into their world. Sometimes dungeon masters enjoy using your character's backstory as inspiration for their world. Your dungeon master might even create completely new adventures for the group that continue the background stories you've devised!
You can find a complete list of all technical information (such as bonuses and skills you receive) of all standard backgrounds in the Player’s Handbook.
In expansions for the rules or guides for alternative campaign settings, other backgrounds can also be found if you are looking for something extravagant. Click here for all Dungeons and Dragons books
The essentials kit contains not only everything you need as a group to start but also the game rules and a brief explanation on how to create your own character.
Are you looking for a beautiful dice set that matches your character? You can find it here!
