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<blockquote data-quote="hastur_nz" data-source="post: 7099109" data-attributes="member: 40592">Personally, for a player who is new to D&amp;D I'd help them with one or two actual *hooks*, then leave any actual back-story for another day / campaign.&nbsp; Let them learn the game, learn by watching the others, see how you all like to play, and hopefully you can get them working on their improv. skills e.g. if they are asked about their history or it becomes important later, let them make something up.&nbsp; As DM, don't feel you need to know every PC's back-story - if it's important, it can be made up as you go along; and most of the time, it's not that important...A simple hook or two, to get them started and interested in helping develop the future plot at the table, is far more important than a rich (and largely un-used) back-story.&nbsp; In fact IMO that holds true for veteran players, as much as newbies - over the years,I've personally wasted time on back-story that never saw the light of play at the table, and I've DM'd numerous players where we all struggled to actually make much use of a huge back-story, too.So... you have a Goliath, that was once a Slave, who knows nothing of his/her heritage.&nbsp; All good.&nbsp; You need a simple Hook, to get them involved in the future Plot(s).&nbsp; Have a look at your list of potential (future) NPC's - does the Goliath know one of them, hate them, thirst for revenge maybe?&nbsp; Or do they not know, but have finally heard a rumour that someone that does know, has come to town?&nbsp; Is the slavery even relevant, going forward, or would you rather keep the future focused on the PC learning their heritage, in which case maybe they hear about someone who knows more of that than they do... (for fun, that person could be a potential 'enemy').Keep it simple, help give them something small that gets them involved and interested in what's to come next.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="hastur_nz, post: 7099109, member: 40592"] Personally, for a player who is new to D&D I'd help them with one or two actual *hooks*, then leave any actual back-story for another day / campaign. Let them learn the game, learn by watching the others, see how you all like to play, and hopefully you can get them working on their improv. skills e.g. if they are asked about their history or it becomes important later, let them make something up. As DM, don't feel you need to know every PC's back-story - if it's important, it can be made up as you go along; and most of the time, it's not that important... A simple hook or two, to get them started and interested in helping develop the future plot at the table, is far more important than a rich (and largely un-used) back-story. In fact IMO that holds true for veteran players, as much as newbies - over the years,I've personally wasted time on back-story that never saw the light of play at the table, and I've DM'd numerous players where we all struggled to actually make much use of a huge back-story, too. So... you have a Goliath, that was once a Slave, who knows nothing of his/her heritage. All good. You need a simple Hook, to get them involved in the future Plot(s). Have a look at your list of potential (future) NPC's - does the Goliath know one of them, hate them, thirst for revenge maybe? Or do they not know, but have finally heard a rumour that someone that does know, has come to town? Is the slavery even relevant, going forward, or would you rather keep the future focused on the PC learning their heritage, in which case maybe they hear about someone who knows more of that than they do... (for fun, that person could be a potential 'enemy'). Keep it simple, help give them something small that gets them involved and interested in what's to come next. [/QUOTE]

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