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

[Aldarc]

Even in real life, I suspect that most clergy will tell you that they were called by the Spirit/god rather than just deciding it was a nice job.

This is typically phrased in terms of a person's "calling." Seminaries and ordination boards will often discuss the difference between your "calling" and your "profession/job" regarding your ministry. There is often the expectation that you have some sort of calling.

 

[John Dallman]

I'm generally happy for players to develop their backstory during play. Requiring a complete one before the start tends to lead to clichés and tropes, which often don't fit the setting very well.

 

[Fenris-77]

I'm generally happy for players to develop their backstory during play. Requiring a complete one before the start tends to lead to clichés and tropes, which often don't fit the setting very well.

I think a paragraph is great, maybe two. That gives the DM some hooks and the player something to work with. The biggest benefit, to my mind, of having it develop during play is that it's more likely to produce strong character role playing, it's more likely to forge connections or bonds to the other players, and it's more likely to be somehow connected to the frame in play, either directly or thematically.

 

[prabe]

I think a paragraph is great, maybe two. That gives the DM some hooks and the player something to work with. The biggest benefit, to my mind, of having it develop during play is that it's more likely to produce strong character role playing, it's more likely to forge connections or bonds to the other players, and it's more likely to be somehow connected to the frame in play, either directly or thematically.

I'm happy to get a few paragraphs. When I work up a character (something I do for fun), I usually end up with 1000-1250 words, including breaking out Traits, etc.