BoldItalic
First Post
Personally, I like writing narrative backgrounds for my characters beforehand because it helps me to "know" them and it helps them to "come alive" in my mind. But I don't expect the backgrounds I create in this way to matter very much once the game actually starts, the other PCs make themselves known and the setting starts to become clear. That requires something different - a justification for the personal relationships between the PCs and a justification for my PC's connection with the setting, that the DM can maybe use as leverage later on. That has to be an iterative process, improvising details when it becomes appropriate to support the ongoing narrative. Sometimes I can re-use details from my original sketch and work them in, but usually I end up just letting it all go and re-inventing the character to suit the game I find myself in.
If I'm DMing, I don't necessarily expect my players to come armed with a detailed background ( [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] has this idea that backgrounds should be no longer than a single tweet, and I think maybe he's right) but, being a lover of narrative, I do hope that they will allow something fun to emerge as we go along. It depends very much on the players, though, and it's no good forcing it. Some people just want to roll dice, and that's okay too.
If I'm DMing, I don't necessarily expect my players to come armed with a detailed background ( [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] has this idea that backgrounds should be no longer than a single tweet, and I think maybe he's right) but, being a lover of narrative, I do hope that they will allow something fun to emerge as we go along. It depends very much on the players, though, and it's no good forcing it. Some people just want to roll dice, and that's okay too.