background generator?

I'm about to start a new semi-regular Eberron campaign for my 12-year-old nephew and two of his friends. I'll be running the three published Eberron adventures for starters, and I want this to be a heroic campaign.

These kids tend to come up with background stories along the lines of: my family was killed by orcs and I'm out for revenge. They always create characters that are nothing more than a band of orphaned friendless sociopaths who are driven only by greed and no reason to cooperate, much less even talk to each other. And their usual character backgrounds become just another exercise in powergaming. Last week they picked their birthplaces based on what advantages (like additional class skills) those regions would give them.

I'd like to steer them away from this. But I don't want them to feel like I am handing them a character they have to play. I want to hand them pieces of information (possibly on note cards) they have to use as a starting point for their story. I'd like to give each of the players three or four pieces of general information (parents alive? what do they do? how many siblings? where are they from?) that they can use to work up a suitable background for their character that lends itself toward a heroic campaign.

So does anyone know of a random background generator online that would fill the bill? (BTW I tried the NPC background generator at the Wizards site but it wasn't quite what I am looking for.) Or does anyone know of a source for snippets of background info that I can use to generate a few broad pieces of information about these characters?

If it makes you feel any better, I know 30 year olds that come up with the same kind of background story.

It's not in print anymore, but you can find it on eBay, albeit a bit pricey - the Central Casting books are great for generating lengthy, detailed backgrounds. I've used it in the past, and it's a great resource. I don't actually own it, but one of these days I will.

You end up detailing family members, a birth date, professions for your family, odd things that happened to you during your childhood years, and other nifty things. It's great.

It's worth mentioning that hackmaster includes a detailed background generator.

One option is to use a lifepath system (as in Cyberpunk rpg). While I haven't seen a lifepath for a fantasy rpg, here are two you could adapt:
http://www.moosh.net/cp2020/lifepath-form.html
http://home.arcor.de/karsten-voigt/rules/2020mods.htm

12 year old boys in mainstream American culture are practically spoonfed violence and taught to be poor communicators. I would suggest having them all working together in service to an order of knights, or some other high-minded group.

Here are some "snippets" for background like you're looking for:
-You want to win a 200 mile horse race through the desert; what are your motives? money? pride? win the hand of a sheikh's daughter in marriage? nothing left to live for?
-You are very religious, but have never seen a statue of your god; are you content in your faith or do you long to see the face of your god?
-You have an adopted daughter who hates you; do you try to understand her?
-Your father treated you terrible and now he is imprisoned by an evil noble who wants his land; will you help him?
-Your mother went crazy and has recently been returned to health; do you trust her?
-You own a gladiator school; are you a heartless tyrant or do you have another agenda? Such as freeing the slaves and ending the gladiator games?
-You haven't spoken with your brothers in ten years and now you need someone with their skills and they are the closest geographically; do you come to peace with them or do you seek out help farther away?
-You are completely broke except for a ruby in your pocket; what keeps you from selling the ruby and living like a king? Was it a gift? Are you sworn to protect it? Is it cursed?
-You wish you'd never sacrificed half your soul to bring your half-brother back to life - he is a pain in the butt and serves a rival organization; how do you deal with him since killing him will only kill you?
-Your family cares for a wounded wyvern in secret, but if found out by the local leader will be imprisoned or killed; how do you deal with the situation?
-You grew up in the shadow of your uncle, a great hero; will you risk your life and the lives of your friends trying to prove yourself? or will you come to peace with your own abilities?

Cheers!

atom crash said:

So does anyone know of a random background generator online that would fill the bill? (BTW I tried the NPC background generator at the Wizards site but it wasn't quite what I am looking for.) Or does anyone know of a source for snippets of background info that I can use to generate a few broad pieces of information about these characters?

Click to expand...

Central Casting: Heroes of Legend (there are also :Heroes Now, and :Heroes for Tomorrow versions for modern and sci-fi backgrounds respectively). If there were only ONE book that I could ever see republished, in an updated, revised and expanded version it would be that book. In fact I cannot for the life of me understand why it hasn't already. Since author Paul Jaquays is still around I assume that either he has utterly no interest in it, or the rights were launched into oblivion with the end of Task Force Games. I've even occasionally taken it and generated backgrounds for characters just for its own sake and come up with a number of them that I keep on file for potential future use for just the right PC or NPC.

Despite flaws that it does have it is unparalleled in what it does and only a new revision of it has a chance of coming even close again.

You just have to push them with a few more questions.

What age were you when this happened? You sure it was orcs, what did they look like? Any one in your family also live to talk about it? Where are they now? so, what have you been doing between then and now? How did you get from your home town to Sharn? So, you robbed your dead dad and mom for pocket money to get here? Where did you get that sword?

Probe and prode.

Quickleaf said:

One option is to use a lifepath system (as in Cyberpunk rpg). While I haven't seen a lifepath for a fantasy rpg, here are two you could adapt:
http://www.moosh.net/cp2020/lifepath-form.html
http://home.arcor.de/karsten-voigt/rules/2020mods.htm

Click to expand...

Artesia Afield RPG is coming up with a lifepath system for their game. It isn't out yet but is should be soon. It is not an D20 system and the lifepath is geared toward the Artesia world.

'Hand of Evil' has a very good suggestion. I'll have to use it myself.

Don't let them kill everyone in the family. There has to be some family that survived, be it Uncles, Aunts or cousins.

I have tendency to hand out less magical treasure during adventures. If the PCs want some nifty magic item, then that 'Order of Knights' has it but they are not going to sell it to just anybody. There is the mindset that you can buy everything you need in Joe's Magic Shop down the street. Don't follow that path, make sure that the characters have to make friends or alliances in order to get that magic item. Don't reward them for the hack-n-slash mentality that you seem to trying to get away from.

I created a little point system for one of my campaigns that rewarded the players for intesting backgrounds (i.e. Create a brother who is rival but not really an enemy. That rival would then being going to that same 'order of knights' and say 'I deserve your patronage more than my than my brother'). They could then use those points for small rewards (permanent stat bumps, small magic items, etc).

I've also kept the campaign centered around a small village where the characters could get to know the various NPCs.

later,
Brian F.


later,
Ysgarran.