Character background stories- what are the most common tropes that appear?

[firstkyne]

I am interested in the features that come up most commonly when players write their character backgrounds.
Thinking of your own characters, or your players', any thoughts?

Please don't post whole back stories, though, obviously that's too much!

I'm planning to make a list up here from comments below.
THIS IS THE LIST

Life changing calls to the adventuring life:
Unknown parents
Lost parents
Strange circumstance of birth

Supernatural:
vision
message
Calling from deity

Isolated:
Loner
Defect or unusual feature of birth

Shamefull military event

...

 

[Lylandra]

some sort of life-changing event(s) that got them into whatever the campaign needs in a PC (adventurer, agent, pirate...).

I guess I've never played a character who just seamlessly became an "adventurer" because they wanted to be one since childhood.

Also, often (but not always) some sort of mystery-hook for the DM to use. Strange appearance, occult source of power, unknown saviour, unknown parents, had a vision, born under strange circumstances etc. Yep, that's just me screaming "DM, LET ME HELP YOU!"

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Anyone who ever became a cleric, or another divine class, did so because their deity appeared to choose them. Nobody ever goes into the clergy willingly without a personal invite, I guess.

 

[firstkyne]

Yes, it seems to me like many systems gloss over the character bio/backstory stage of development, when in fact that is the bit that generates a characters story arc, and really can help the GM build the challenges the character should face.

 

[firstkyne]

Anyone who ever became a cleric, or another divine class, did so because their deity appeared to choose them. Nobody ever goes into the clergy willingly without a personal invite, I guess.

I've put that in the list as calling from deity.

You're right, and I guess that explains why you don't see many characters made that are struggling with their faith. They KNOW there is a god!
How would you build the start of a campaign so that a cleric was struggling? Or perhaps just not a very good Cleric, and so couldn't be certain that his God would intervene to grant him spells?

 

[prabe]

Mentors, sometimes the whole master-apprentice thing; probably more common for characters that are specifically magical. Some backstories go past lost parents to eliminating entire villages or towns. I've had a couple backstories that revolved around the PCs specifically rejecting their families, which is a little bit of an inversion (but note the plural, even here).

 

[Ulfgeir]

• Prophesy stating that they are the chosen one. Probably more common in fiction than actual games.
• Ordered to do something.
• Running away from the law. (I have used this)
• Running away from forced marriages.
• Vengeance due to loss of partner.
• Doing something to build a reputation for themselves. (I have used this)

 

[ccs]

●Wrong place, wrong time/adventurer out of necessity.

This is definitely the basis of my 1/2ling barbarian Rose Burrfoot.
She started as a commoner who was abducted from a Carnival type party. Everything after that - including becoming a barbarian & saving a portion of the world - was merely trying to survive & get home.

Likewise it's mostly the basis of my 1/2ling Warlock Bree Burrfoot.
She had been being groomed by her patron to become an adventurer. But, when her older sister (see above) was abducted by some Satyrs at a party, she became an adventurer a few years ahead of schedule in as she launched a rescue attempt.
The rescue itself was successful, though things went sideways & the sisters were seperated. So most of the Warlocks adventures have been enroute to reuniting & getting home. Bree has not (yet) saved the world.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In my personal stable of FRPG PCs? In no particular order:

Exiled/abdicated royalty
Academics- mystic & mundane
orphans of various kinds
foundling raised by ____
Protectors & guardians chosen by gods, prophecies, family or profession
former farmers & tradesmen
fugitives

 

[Eyes of Nine]

On the run from criminal group