D&D 5E forget classes, i want more backgrounds

[thalmin]

What's wrong with how it works in Basic? Any feature, two skills, two tools/languages. What more could you ask for (besides more examples, which we're going to get in the PHB anyway)?

Ideas for the background feature, and maybe some seeds or pointers for the fluff. Anyone can smash together 2 skills and 2 tools or languages, but the prose may not come together so easily. In my case, creative writing class was a long time ago.

 

[JC99]

Ideas for the background feature, and maybe some seeds or pointers for the fluff. Anyone can smash together 2 skills and 2 tools or languages, but the prose may not come together so easily. In my case, creative writing class was a long time ago.

The special feature is the tough bit. The more examples we have to draw from, the better.

 

[tuxgeo]

You can also go the question route. Ask your players questions about their characters, work with their answers to ask more. You will get a number of plot hooks.

One of my standard questions; how did you and the other characters meet?

Speaking of going the question route: do you have a standardized list of the questions you ask?

One of the lists I saw earlier (OK, back in 2010) was this inspiring post by caelum. I ask whether you have a standardized list because I would like to see more such lists, for further inspiration.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Speaking of going the question route: do you have a standardized list of the questions you ask?

One of the lists I saw earlier (OK, back in 2010) was this inspiring post by caelum. I ask whether you have a standardized list because I would like to see more such lists, for further inspiration.

• What social level do you see your character as; poor, skilled, middle, merchant, lesser noble, noble, royalty?
  
  this can tell you the general appearance of the character and possible attitude to those social levels; who they get along with, who makes them nervous.​
• Where is your characters family, their names, what do they do, are they alive? Do you have a family secret?
  
  never underestimate the power of family.​
• Nick name?
  
  Do you have one you call yourself or family members call you?​
• What put your character on the road as an adventurer?
  
  fame, fortune, because your family was going to marry you off, you were being sent off to military school, or to be a monk.​
• How did you meet the other characters?
  
  it does not have to be all of them, it can be one that knew the others.​
• When your character enters a room, will the people in the room take notice? Why?
  
  ego or do they just wear bright colors or do they say / do something loud to draw notice?​
• What is your characters most striking feature?
  
  scar from an old wound, the blue eyes of the devil, the green eyes of your mother, the hawk-like features, the tribal tattoo...​
• Does your character have any "tells"?
  
  card games, before they draw their sword? You can house rule this, chance to notice and if so plus vs character.​
• Any objects / jewelry does your character put on every day? Does any have meaning to your character?
  
  I have ring with a snake on it, a pendant with the sign of the Rat and Pisceses (together they mean March 1960), the snake is an nickname my mom has always called me.​

 

[fuindordm]

They remind me a lot of 2E kits, but hopefully they won't get out of hand like those did. I agree they have a lot of potential, without complicating the game as much as feats do.

 

[DonAdam]

I'm excited to see setting-specific backgrounds. I hope we get loads of them for each campaign setting.

 

[evilbob]

They remind me a lot of 2E kits, but hopefully they won't get out of hand like those did. I agree they have a lot of potential, without complicating the game as much as feats do.

The trick with backgrounds is that they should only provide the barest minimum mechanical benefit just to get people to look at them. Any more than that is too much. I think they're at a good level so far - 2 skills, that's it - and I would think they'll never stray from that.

The real bonus for backgrounds is the non-mechanical benefit: making you think about your character and giving you ready-made hooks and quirks that make playing them more interesting than just reading stats on a page. Like the list a few posts earlier. Or the "one unique thing" from 13th Age. Or really any of the jillions of things people have come up with over the last 10 years to encourage more than combat. Yes: the aren't necessary, but yes: it's nice to have them and they can help.

What I particularly like about 5.0 is that they go further than 4.0, somehow, in my opinion. Maybe this will change down the line but baking in choices like ideals and flaws and traits just seems to extend their reach more than a pre-made paragraph; it gives you more to work with than just a couple of bonuses. Again, that's just my take, though. (Don't hurt me!)

 

[Psikerlord#]

Although creating backgrounds is the simplest thing to create based on what we have in 5B.
*Come up with a story
*Come up with your trait, ideal, bond and flaw
*Select 4 items from skills, tools and languages; no more than 2 of each

EDIT: Our Wednesday night game moved from the playtest to a 5B/playtest blend (you could use the playtest if something in 5B did not change it). I did that for backgrounds, letting them choose two of the three given skills in a background, and changed the stat boosts to follow 5B for those races not yet included.

yep just make your own backgrounds, it would be very easy. in 13th age everyone makes their own custom backgrounds, it works well. I suspect we will also use 13A's "one unique thing" too.