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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JeffB" data-source="post: 7907717" data-attributes="member: 518">So in another thread- the issue of players and large amounts of PC backstory  came up. I'm not a fan- for a few reasons.1) I find most of it "dead weight" (as another poster put it).  The player gets very involved in this backstory, but it involves all sorts of fictional elements that don't/won't fit in the game/campaign as a whole. 2) For things that may actually tie in- Trying to work these elements into the game, for 4-6 PCs is a PITA unless the game is very scripted/some sort of railroad.3) It's usually just "Hey look at me, my PC is so awesome"In certain specific circumstances and a very specific plot-I'm OK with it. For example- Several years ago, my Son (a young teen)  wanted me to run a single PC game in Middle Earth for him (Summer time- his friends all had stuff going on for a multiplayer game). He's not a Tolkien Scholar, but loves the movies and the Lore presented (and my blabbering on about things that are in the books but not the movies).  He wasn't comfortable writing up a story about his PC-he's never been much of a roleplayer or writer, so he asked me to. ughh,  I knew roughly the idea of what I wanted to present- but asked him a few questions- what kind of character, any story elements he wanted to touch upon, bits of lore he wanted to explore. etc. So I came up with this for him- which was a short backstory to get him to the presentSo if someone came to me as a DM with this type of story in anormal multiplayer game, I'd roll my eyes and ask them- what is it that are looking to accomplish? That's just fluff. Do you have any goals?  And If I got that type of thing from every player...::gags:Now- Instead I ask Players to bring that creativity to the table with BACKGROUNDS and explore that together through play.Backgrounds are a very simple mechanic that takes the place of skills in 13th Age. essentialy its a one to several word description of your PC's background. You can take up to 3 backgrounds and you have 8 points  (max 5 points in any one background) to assign to them.examplesPirate Reaver of the Black CoastKeeper of the Library at the ends of the EarthStreet ThiefCobblerCookAs elaborate or simple as you like.DURING GAME PLAY- you use these backgrounds to mechanical benefit by being creative with them in the fiction.  For example- "Well, My PC was a Pirate Reaver of the Black Coast..he's an ace with knots and rope, he should be able to make a quick fix on the rope ladder bridge so we can get across..."  Then the DM might say, OK- Make a DC20 Wisdom check, you can add your background points (+your Wisdom Mod). Or maybe it's some kind of conversation where you are trying to convince a NPC of something. The backgrounds are not tied to any one ability score. I might use that Pirate Reaver background to convince that NPC  Pirate Captain to take me to the Lich King's Island using CHA . Now if the explanation you give makes everyone at the table roll their eyes and groan- yeah not gonna work. IMO the experience of creating the PC's background with everyone around the table- discovering these things through play is way more satisfying for me as a DM  AND for the players- I also find it opens up easier and appropriate  ways to tie the PCs backgrounds into the story/plot going forward. I take notes on the way the backgrounds get used for future sessions.I use this background system now in pretty much every session I run for any game.</blockquote>

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